Prof. Capasso is the Robert L. Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and a Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA USA). In May 2013, he was honoured with a Humboldt Research Award. This award is granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to outstanding foreign academics at the peak of their careers. Award winners are invited to spend a period of six to twelve months on academic collaboration with specialist colleagues in Germany.
Prof. Federico Capasso is an internationally renowned applied physicist. He received the doctor of Physics degree, from the University of Rome, Italy in 1973. He worked during 26 years at Bell Labs (Murray Hill, NJ USA) where he rose from postdoc to Vice President for Physical Research. Since 2003, he is on the faculty of Harvard University. His pioneering research in photonics includes seminal contributions to band-gap engineering of optoelectronic materials, quantum cascade lasers and plasmonics-based photonic devices. The invention and the development by Federico Capasso of the quantum cascade laser led to revolutionary mid-infrared coherent light sources, with widespread use in scientific and industrial applications.
Prof. Capasso is the recipient of numerous scientific awards, including the 2004 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science (American Physical Society) and the 2005 King Faisal International Prize for Science. Earlier this year, he was presented with the 2013 Prize for Applied Aspects of Quantum Electronics and Optics of the European Physical Society. Other honours include membership in the National Academy of Sciences (USA), the National Academy of Engineering (USA) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
During his stay at the MPQ, Prof. Federico Capasso will join the Laser Spectroscopy Division. Together with Prof. Hänsch and his coworkers, he will explore the potential of quantum cascade lasers for mid-infrared frequency comb generation. Prof. Capasso will also give a series of three seminars on advanced topics of nanophotonics.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Theodor W. Hänsch
Director at Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics
Hans-Kopfermann-Straße 1
85748 Garching
Phone: +49 (0)89 / 32 905 -702/-712
Fax: +49 (0)89 / 32 905 -312
E-mail: t.w.haensch(at)mpq.mpg.de
