The Photonics Innovation Award in Honor of Federico Capasso: Announcing This Year’s Winner
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Charles Roques-Carmes of Stanford University has been named the winner of the inaugural Photonics Innovation Award for his pioneering achievements in nanophotonics!
Nanophotonics, a leading journal in the field of optical and photonic science, is proud to announce the winner of the inaugural Photonics Innovation Award in Honor of Federico Capasso: Dr. Charles Roques-Carmes of Stanford University.
This newly established award recognizes outstanding scientists whose groundbreaking research has expanded the frontiers of photonics and embodies the innovative spirit of Professor Federico Capasso, founding editor of Nanophotonics. A globally renowned physicist, Professor Capasso is credited with the invention of the quantum cascade laser and seminal contributions to metasurfaces, technologies that have reshaped the photonics landscape.
The Photonics Innovation Award honors individuals who have advanced scientific understanding while enabling real-world applications and technological breakthroughs. Following a rigorous and unanimous selection process by the award committee—comprising distinguished scientists Dr. Nader Engheta and Dr. Alexandra Boltasseva—Dr. Roques-Carmes was chosen for his broad and original contributions to the field.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award celebrating Federico Capasso’s extraordinary and ongoing legacy in our field. Federico was one of my first mentors in science, and I owe him a great deal. This recognition highlights how bridging fundamental research and technology can lead to lasting impact, and I’m excited to keep building on that vision.”
Dr. Roques-Carmes’s work has opened entirely new research directions and inspired technological innovations across disciplines. He exemplifies the spirit of this award, which honors technological breakthroughs grounded in deep scientific insight and original thinking. His contributions—spanning theory, numerical simulation, and experimental work—reflect an exceptional command of mathematics, materials science, and physics. Notably, he has significantly advanced areas such as metalenses, nanophotonic scintillation, X-ray detectors, photonic machine learning, and the application of electron microscopy in nanophotonics.
He is widely regarded as a founder of the emerging field of nanophotonic scintillation, and his extensive publication record spans Science, Nature, and Physical Review X.
Currently based at Stanford University, Dr. Roques-Carmes leads groundbreaking investigations into configurable photonic circuits and the use of partially coherent light for high-performance sensing and exoplanet detection. His rare interdisciplinary expertise, scientific independence, and creative vision exemplify the qualities this award seeks to honor.
“It is very rare to find a young scientist of the caliber of Charles, capable of moving creatively and seamlessly across so many areas of optics! He is a perfect match for this award.”
About the Photonics Innovation Award
The Photonics Innovation Award in Honor of Federico Capasso was established in 2024 by Nanophotonics to recognize scientists whose research has led to transformative technologies, deepened fundamental understanding, or demonstrated exceptional potential to shape the future of photonics.
The award consists of:
- A commemorative trophy
- A formal certificate of recognition
- A monetary prize of €4,000
Nanophotonics extends its sincere gratitude to all who contributed to the establishment of this award, and in particular to Professor Federico Capasso, whose legacy continues to inspire excellence and innovation in the photonics community.
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