Harvard Applied Physics professor Federico Capasso was awarded the 2021 Frederic Ives Medal and Jarus W. Quinn Prize, the Optical Society announced Thursday.
The award, which recognizes overall distinction in optics, is often considered among the field’s highest forms of recognition. Capasso will receive the award for his work on quantum electrodynamical forces known as Casimir forces, as well as his contribution to the invention of quantum cascade lasers, which are used to identify and examine molecules found in explosives and drugs.
Capasso’s recent work has utilized the Casimir effect – defined by the Optical Society as “attraction between metal surfaces in vacuum due to its zero point energy” – to analyze motion in microscopic electrical systems.