Professor Ignacio Cirac, born in 1965, studied theoretical physics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid where he received his PhD in 1991. He began his career in physics as a "Professor Titular" at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha where he stayed till 1996. In 1996 he became Professor at the department of Theoretical Physics at Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck. Since 2001 he is Director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and head of the Theory Division.
Besides working on quantum computation the theory group of Prof. Cirac also develops theoretical tools to describe many-body quantum systems, which may lead to a better understanding of macroscopic phenomena such as superconductivity. Furthermore, Prof. Cirac and his collaborators created new theoretical tools to characterize and quantify entanglement, and participates in the creation of a new theory of information based on quantum mechanics.
Professor Ignacio Cirac has by now become one of the most renowned scientists in the field of quantum information and quantum computation. E.g., in 2005 he was awarded the 'Quantum Electronics Prize' of the European Science Foundation. In May 2006 he was the youngest ever winner of the renowned 'Royal Spanish Prince of Asturias Prize', and in the same year he received the 'International Quantum Communication Award' together with Professor Peter Zoller (University of Innsbruck). In January 2009 he again shared the 'Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences' of the Spanish BBVA Foundation with Professor Peter Zoller, and a couple of months later he received the Benjamin Franklin Medal from the Franklin Institute in Philadephia (USA), together with Peter Zoller and Dr. David Wineland (National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder (NIST)).
Prof. Cirac will receive the Catalan Culture Award, which is endowed with 18000 Euro, from the President of Catalonia, José Montilla, on July 3rd, 2010.
Olivia Meyer-Streng
Contact
Prof. Dr. Ignacio Cirac
Honorary Professor, Technische Universität München
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
Hans-Kopfermann-Straße 1
85748 Garching
Phone: +49 - 89 - 32905 705/736
Fax: +49 - 89 - 32905 336
Email: ignacio.cirac(at)mpq.mpg.de
Dr. Olivia Meyer-Streng
Press & Public Relations Office
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
Phone: +49 - 89 - 32905 213
Email: olivia.meyer-streng(at)mpq.mpg.de
Web: www.mpq.mpg.de
