Gorshkov Wins IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award

Alexey Gorshkov, a senior investigator in the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation, has won the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award.

The annual award recognizes an individual or team for outstanding contributions to quantum electronics.

Gorshkov, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, was recognized for his pioneering contributions to the understanding, design and control of interacting quantum systems.

These topics are essential to the development and operation of technologies like quantum computers, quantum networks and quantum sensors.

“It's a great honor to receive this award,” says Gorshkov, who is also a Fellow in the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) and the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS). “I am profoundly grateful to my numerous fantastic collaborators, including students and postdocs, and to my colleagues—all of these people were instrumental to completing the research that led to this award.”

At the University of Maryland, Gorshkov leads a theoretical research group that tackles a broad range of physics topics encompassing quantum optics, atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics and quantum information science.

By combining tools and concepts from these areas, his group works to develop powerful quantum technologies, including precise clocks, sensors, quantum communication devices, and quantum computers. These devices require precise control of light, atoms or molecules to harness quantum behaviors and deliver practical advantages.

IEEE is a global professional organization with more than 460,000 members. It fosters technological innovation by sponsoring conferences, publishing academic journals, honoring the achievements of community members and other activities. The IEEE Photonics Society is the portion of the organization that is focused on research into the quantum behavior of particles of light.

—Story by Bailey Bedford, JQI communications group