Professor Sir Richard Friend

Photograph 16 x 20 (inches)

Window mount 24 x 29 (inches)

Sir Richard Friend leads the Optoelectronics Group at the Cavendish Laboratory and is a Fellow of St John's College. He is a pioneer in the study of organic electroluminescence from polymers and revolutionised our understanding of the electronic properties of molecular semiconductors. He co-founded Cambridge Display Technology in 1992 and Plastic Logic in 2000, which hopes to make thin, flexible screens for computers, televisions, and other display applications.

The Cavendish Professorship of Physics was established in 1871, three years before the completion of the Cavendish Laboratory. The endowment was granted by William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire in honour of his relative Henry Cavendish, who had attended the University, failed to gain a degree but subsequently went on to discover hydrogen.