Prof. Sandoghdar is honored by the European Physical Society (EPS) for his pioneering research investigating the efficiency of light-matter interactions in quantum optics and biophysics. This has led to strong single-molecule coupling and enabled label-free detection of small proteins. The prize is awarded every two years at the CLEO Europe-EQEC conference.

"The prize recognizes the work of about 100 PhD students, postdocs and research associates over 20 years," said Prof. Sandoghdar at the conference currently being held in Munich.

Prof. Sandoghdar said that his current research originated with the founding of his group at the University of Konstanz. His goal was to combine methods and concepts from quantum optics and laser spectroscopy with scanning probe microscopy, near-field optics and single-molecule research to establish the field of nano-optics. Over the years, he has worked with his group on a series of highly challenging projects, the results of which have been published in more than 200 papers in the most prestigious international journals. A central goal of this work has been to investigate one fundamental question regarding light-matter interaction: How efficient is the interaction of photons with atoms, molecules or nanoparticles?

He and his team succeeded in showing that a single photon can interact with a single quantum emitter with a probability of 100%. His research findings eventually made it possible to turn a single molecule into a very efficient and sensitive optical switch, as well as to detect light scattering from individual proteins. The results open the doors to numerous experiments in quantum optics and quantum technology as well as in biophotonics and biophysics.

The award was presented during the CLEO/Europe EQEC conferences. CLEO, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, and EQEC, the European Quantum Electronics Virtual Conferences, have a strong tradition as comprehensive and prestigious gatherings of optics and photonics researchers and engineers in Europe.

Image (@European Physical Society): Prof. Vahid Sandoghdar (l.) being presented with the 2023 EPS-QEOD Quantum Electronics and Optics Prize for fundamental aspects by Prof. Lukas Gallmann (r.).