This year's Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics will be awarded to Prof. Mikhail Lukin (Harvard University), one of the world's leading scientists in quantum optics and nanophotonics. His work on controlling matter down to the individual atom level and light waves down to the one-photon level has opened the doors to a wide range of new concepts in applied physics. The award, accompanied by US$ 5,000, will be presented at the Magnus-Haus in Berlin, Germany, on 21 October 2015 in conjunction with a public lecture given by the physicist.
Mikhail Lukin is a pioneer in the fast-growing field that uses quantum optical processes and devices for implementing the ideas of quantum information science. His work in both theoretical and experimental physics has resulted in new methods for controlling the propagation of light fields and for manipulating individual atoms by shaping light-matter interaction at the single-particle quantum level. His contributions range from ground-breaking work on quantum plasmonics to the realization of quantum optical switches. His pioneering work on coherent manipulation of electronic and nuclear spins based on atom-like impurities in solid-state led to fundamental building blocks of quantum information systems.
Mikhail Lukin received his early education from the Moscow Institute of Technology and Physics. He completed his Ph.D. degree at Texas A&M University in 1998. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics at Harvard University from 1998 to 2001 before joining the faculty of the Harvard Physics Department in 2001 where he has been a professor of physics since 2004. He has co-authored over 300 technical papers and has received a number of distinguished awards.
The Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics recognizes researchers who have made an outstanding and innovative contribution to the field of applied physics. It has been awarded annually since 1998 by the editors-in-chief of the Springer journals Applied Physics A - Materials Science & Processing and Applied Physics B - Lasers and Optics.
The award will be presented to Mikhail Lukin at the DPG Magnus-Haus, Am Kupfergraben 7, Berlin, Germany, at 6:00 pm on October 21, 2015.
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