Nobel Prize in Physics

University of Oxford, UK

Roman Walczak is an Emeritus Professor at Oxford University and Senior Research Fellow at Somerville College in Oxford. He is currently working on laser-plasma electron accelerators (LPAs), specializing in driving them by trains of laser pulses guided in free-standing plasma waveguides. This approach is opening up LPAs to novel laser technologies such as thin-disk and fibre lasers. Before working on LPAs, he worked on particle physics at accelerators at CERN and DESY.

Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Canada

Francois Blanchard is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in Montréal, Canada, where he has been a faculty member since 2015. He earned his PhD in telecommunications, energy, and materials from INRS-EMT, Canada, in 2010. Following his doctoral studies, he undertook a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at Kyoto University, Japan, and a subsequent two-year postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University, Canada. From 2016 to 2018, Dr. Blanchard held the ÉTS Chair in Terahertz (THz) Optoelectronics. Currently, he holds a Canada Research Chair in THz Wave Encryption, a position he has held since 2021 and will continue until 2026. His research has made substantial contributions to the field, including the establishment of a world reference for high-field THz pulse generation using nonlinear crystals and the development of the first video-rate THz microscope in collaboration with Olympus Corp. Dr. Blanchard also has significant expertise in non-destructive testing of materials, backed by over a decade of industrial experience. Notably, his recent work includes a project on non-contact characterization of THz-wave printable electronic devices, which led to the creation of “Track,” a company founded by one of his former students. He is currently engaged in a research project on ultrafast parametric detection of THz pulses, in collaboration with Nagoya University, towards quantum optics in this frequency range.

Founder, and President of OEwaves, Inc Canada

Lute Maleki is a Founder, and President and CEO of OEwaves, Inc. The Company is focused on the development of photonic components and subsystems for advanced sensors and communication systems and quantum technology. In 2014, he co-founded and served as the CTO of Strobe, a LiDAR company spun out of OEwaves and acquired by GM/Cruise in 2017. He joined GM/Cruise for the following two years to lead the development of LiDAR sensors. Prior to joining OEwaves in 2007, Lute was a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where he created and led the Quantum Sciences and Technologies Group. His technical areas of interest at JPL included development of atomic clocks based on ion traps and laser cooled trapped atoms; ultra-stable photonic oscillators; the opto-electronic oscillator (OEO); photonic signal distribution systems; study and development of whispering gallery mode micro-resonators and their applications; development of sensors based on atom wave interferometers; and tests of fundamental physics with atomic clocks. He is an inventor of over 70 U.S. Patents and applications, and has authored and co-authored over 130 refereed publications, and over 200 conference proceedings. Dr. Maleki is a Life Fellow of IEEE, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America (now Optica). He holds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics. He received the IEEE Rabi Award, IEEE Sawyer Award and NASA’s Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal for the development of the Trapped Ion Frequency Standard

Imperial College London, UK

Simon Schultz is Professor of Neurotechnology in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London, and Director of the Imperial College Centre for Neurotechnology. He studied physics, applied mathematics and electrical engineering in Australia (at Monash and Sydney Universities) before receiving a D.Phil. in neuroscience at the University of Oxford. After postdoctoral research at New York University and UCL, he founded his laboratory at Imperial in 2004. Achievements include developments in the use of information theory to study neuroscience datasets, the use of advanced optical techniques for studying how sensory and cognitive information is represented in the brain, and robotically automated micropipette monitoring of targeted cells in the brain. His current lab focus is on the use of mesoscopic imaging technologies for imaging neural activity in behaving mice. His group are particularly interested in memory – ranging from studying how the structure of memories changes in the brain over time, to developing neurotechnology for memory enhancement.

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Wei Li is a Professor at Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He also serves as the Director of GPL Photonics Laboratory at CIOMP. Before joining CAS, he did his Ph.D. and postdoc at Vanderbilt University and Stanford University, respectively. His research interests include thermal photonics, nanophotonics, and their applications in next-generation energy and information technologies. He is a Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate) and the recipient of MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 (TR35 Asia Pacific) and others. He is the associate editor of npj Nanophotonics and the faculty advisor of IEEE Student Chapter and the Optica Student Chapter at CIOMP, CAS.

Imperial College London, UK

John Tisch is a Professor of Laser Physics at Imperial College London and leads the Quantum Optics and Laser Science (QOLS) Group. His research focuses on ultrafast laser physics and high-intensity laser-matter interactions, especially using high-power femtosecond laser pulses to create attosecond x-ray pulses and study ultrafast dynamics in matter. Tisch has made key contributions to understanding high harmonic radiation and its applications, and was the first to measure high-energy electron and ion production from intense laser pulses with large atomic clusters. He has advanced Attosecond Science in the UK, including the fastest measurement of molecular structural changes and insights into photosynthesis and semiconductor dynamics. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Tasmania and his PhD from Imperial College London. Tisch joined Imperial College as a lecturer in 2003, was promoted to professor in 2009, and has held leadership roles in various international conferences. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and the Optical Society of America.

IU International University, Germany

Dr. Armin Grasnick is Professor of Augmented & Virtual Reality at IU International University of Applied Sciences. With a background in technical optics, he has founded a few companies focused on 3D/VR technologies. Dr. Grasnick holds a PhD in autostereoscopic displays from FernUniversität Hagen and brings experience in high-performance lens design and 3D display development to his current role.

University of British Columbia, Canada

Prof. Haishan Zeng is a distinguished scientist of the BC Cancer Research Institute and a professor of Dermatology, Pathology, and Physics of the University of British Columbia. Prof. Zeng’s research focuses on biophotonics and its medical applications. His group has pioneered the multiphoton-absorption based laser therapy and is at leading position in endoscopy imaging and Raman spectroscopy for noninvasive early cancer detection. He has published over 190 refereed papers and holds 30 granted patents. Several medical devices derived from these patents including fluorescence endoscopy (ONCO-LIFE™) and rapid Raman spectroscopy (Aura™) have passed regulatory approvals and are in clinical uses. The Aura™ device was awarded the Prism Award in 2013 by the International Society for Optics and Photonics.

Purdue University, USA

Ahmed Hassanein is the Paul L. Wattelet Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering with a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982) and multiple master's degrees in nuclear engineering and physics from both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Alexandria University in Egypt. His research focuses on plasma material interactions, fusion research, computational physics, extreme ultraviolet lithography, and biomedical engineering applications. Hassanein holds several patents related to nano-pumping, plasma formation, and extreme ultraviolet generation. He is a Fellow of numerous prestigious organizations, including the American Nuclear Society, the American Physical Society, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

University of Arizona, USA

Professor Rongguang Liang is an endowed chair person and a faculty member at the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. His research group specializes in asphere applications, manufacturability, and freeform optics. An internationally recognized expert in optical design, he has extensive industry experience and a strong focus on biomedical optical systems. Currently, Professor Liang’s research emphasizes advanced imaging technologies and optical engineering. He is a Fellow of both SPIE and OSA.

University of Rochester, USA

Prof. N. Darius Sankey is a veteran in venture capital and technology. He is the founder and Managing Director of Innovation Acceleration Capital and has held leadership roles at Sway Ventures, Ocean Tomo, and Intellectual Ventures. Darius has also served on the boards of several companies, including Unium and Siimpel Corporation. He has a Ph.D. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester and a B.S. in Physics and Electrical Engineering from MIT. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at the Rady School of Business, UC San Diego

Politecnico di Bari, Italy

Luciano Mescia has joined the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Politecnico di Bari as an Assistant Professor. He is now a Full Professor at Politecnico di Bari. His research focuses on fiber and integrated optic technologies, including rare-earth doped devices, optical sensors for environmental monitoring, and various applications of optical fibers. Recently, he has been working on swarm intelligence for designing high-power fiber amplifiers for space and harsh environments. His work also includes designing rare-earth doped microspheres and novel optical antennas for solar energy. He collaborates with national and international research institutions and serves as a reviewer and chairman for international conferences and journals.

Fudan University, China

Prof. Shulin Sun earned his PhD in Physics from Fudan University in 2009. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at National Taiwan University from 2010 to 2013. In 2013, he became an associate professor in the Department of Optical Science & Engineering at Fudan University and has been a professor and associate dean since 2019. His research focuses on metamaterials, plasmonics, and photonic crystals. He has published over 80 papers with 10,000+ citations, and 13 of them are ESI highly cited. He has received several awards, including the National Natural Science Award and the Shanghai Natural Science Award.

RMIT University, Australia

Baohua Jia joined RMIT in 2022 as a full professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow in the School of Science. She is the founding Director of the Australian Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing (ACAN). Before RMIT, she was a full Professor and Founding Director at Swinburne University of Technology. She holds a BSc and MSc from Nankai University, China, and a PhD from Swinburne University. She is a Fellow of Optica and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3), and has been serving on the Australian Research Council College of Experts since 2019. Professor Jia's research explores how light interacts with nanomaterials. Her work on laser manipulation of two-dimensional materials has led to innovations in clean energy, water and air purification, and advanced imaging and nanofabrication for faster optical communications and smart manufacturing.

John Hopkins University, USA

Xingde Li is a professor of biomedical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and oncology, and directs the Laboratory of Biophotonics Imaging Technologies. His research aims to create advanced biophotonics technologies that connect engineering with medical diagnosis and treatment. This work spans various fields, including optics, electrical engineering, micro-nano technology, biology, and clinical medicine. Li’s goal is to improve early disease detection, monitor treatments, and guide medical interventions, while also exploring new areas in disease mechanisms and biomarker discovery. He earned his bachelor’s in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1990 and his PhD in physics and biomedical optics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988. He is a fellow of OSA, SPIE, and AIMBE

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

University of Oxford, UK

Professor Tony Wilson graduated from the University of Oxford in 1976, earning his DPhil in 1979. After serving as an SRC Advanced Fellow and Research Fellow at Brasenose College, he joined Bell Laboratories in the USA as a Member of Technical Staff. Tony has authored three books and more than 250 papers. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society and serves as General Editor of the Journal of Microscopy. Until 2023, he was a Professor of Engineering Science and a Tutorial Fellow at Hertford College.

Fraunhofer Institute, Germany

Nagasaki University, Japan

Dr. Enami obtained his Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona in 2003. He has held various academic and professional positions, including postdoctoral fellow at Kyoto University in Japan, Assistant Professor at the University of Fukui in Japan, Associate Research Professor at the University of Arizona, Professor (Special Appointment) at Hiroshima University, and Professor at Kochi University of Technology. He also served as the Director of Device Development at Lightwave Logic CO. Since 2020, he has been a Professor at Nagasaki University. In 2007, Dr. Enami presented a breakthrough in thin-film glass/polymer modulators as the lead author in Nature Photonics. He continues to work on optoelectronic devices. He served as a guest editor for the journal MDPI Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) from 2014 and joined the editorial board of Sensors in 2018. He has served as a grant review panel member several times for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Dr. Enami is a senior member of OSA and SPIE and has participated as a committee member in over ten international conferences.

Huazhong University of Science & Technology, China

Honggang Gu received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST) in 2011 and 2016 respectively. Then he worked as a postdoctoral researcher from 2016 to 2020 in HUST. Now, he is currently a Full Professor in School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, HUST. He focuses on the research field of micro/nano optical measurement technology, instrumentation, and applications. His research interests include ellipsometry and polarimetry, computational imaging, characterization of low-dimensional materials and complex nanostructures, and optical modeling, analysis, and optimization of stratified optoelectronic devices (e.g. OLED, OPV, etc.). He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal papers in Nat. Photonics, Light Sci. Appl., etc., and authorized more than 50 patents. He is the winner of the Paul Drude Award of the 9th international conference on spectroscopy ellipsometry (ICSE). He is a fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM).

POSTECH, Korea

Prof. Dong Eon Kim has received his Ph. D degree from Princeton University, USA in 1989 with a topic on the development of soft X-ray lasers. He joined Physics Department at POSTECH, Rep. of Korea as a faculty member. He has interested in the development of plasma-based X-ray lasers and successfully demonstrated the lasing action at C VI 18.2 nm in a capillary-discharged confined plasma. His interest also includes ultrafast science and its related technology such as the generation science of single cycle pulse, attosecond pulse and their applications in atomic, molecular and condensed matter science. He has done grounding works to establish Max Planck POSTECH/KOREA Initiative (MPK) as well as Max Planck Center for Attosecond Science in 2011 in Korea. He has served MPK as director. He was awarded Grand Prize in National Inventions and Patents Competition in Korea in 2007 and also the decoration, Order of Service Merit in 2024.

Tsinghua University, China

Dr. Jingbo Sun is an Associate Professor in School of Materials Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Current research emphasizes the use of anisotropic materials or metamaterials in nano-photonics including cylindrically crystalline materials named spherulites, to generate structured light beams and hyperbolic metamaterials used in microscopy, photolithography and 2D photonic circuits.

University of Waterloo, Canada

Professor Simarjeet Saini joined the University of Waterloo as an Assistant Professor in September 2007. He earned his B.Tech. (Honours) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1996, and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2001. His doctoral research focused on developing a novel platform technology for the monolithic integration of photonic devices, known as the Passive Active Resonant Coupler (PARC). This innovation led to the founding of Covega Corporation, where Professor Saini served as the Lead Optoelectronics Device Engineer from December 2000 to October 2004 and later as Lead Applications Engineer from October 2005 to September 2007. During his time at Covega, he led the design and development of single angled facet chips, semiconductor optical amplifiers, and high-power lasers. In August 2004, Professor Saini co-founded Altanet Communications, a start-up company focused on Ethernet-based metro area networks with sub-five millisecond restoration times using optical domain intelligence. From October 2004 to September 2005, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland, where he worked on biochemical sensors and optical packet routing.

Xiamen University, China.

Dr. Guohua Xie is a full professor at Xiamen University, China. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Jilin University (China) in 2011, working on OLED microdisplays. From August 2011, Dr. Xie carried out his postdoctoral research at TU Dresden and Fraunhofer IPMS (Germany), sponsored by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, investigating the stability of OLEDs. Then he worked for an OLED-,based interdisciplinary project to treat skin cancer with OLEDs at the University of St Andrews (UK) since 2013. From 2015, he worked at the College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences of Wuhan University (China), developing new solution-processable organic materials and devices. In 2023, Dr. Xie joined Institute of Flexible Electronics (IFE, Future Technologies) of Xiamen University, working on the interdisciplinary research of the emerging optoelectronic materials and devices, including, organic LEDs, quantum-dot LEDs, and perovskite LEDs. Dr. Xie has co-authored over 260 peer-reviewed publications with an H-index of 53 and contributed to 1 book as the editor-in-chief. In 2020, Dr. Xie has been admitted as a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry

Cranfield University, UK

University of Denmark, Denmark

Peter Tidemand-Lichtenberg is an Associate Professor specializing in creating new light sources and detection systems for specific uses. His work involves non-linear frequency mixing with solid-state or semiconductor lasers to develop coherent light sources in the UV, visible, and mid-IR spectra. His research focuses on designing light sources for applications such as fluorescence spectroscopy in biomedicine and dermatology, and extending spectral coverage to the mid-IR range for gas sensing and hyperspectral imaging.