image: HKU Nobel Laureate Professor Ferenc Krausz Elected as International Member of U.S. National Academy of Sciences
Credit: The University of Hong Kong
Professor Ferenc KRAUSZ, Chair Professor of Laser Physics in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has been elected as an International Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA (NAS), in recognition of his outstanding contributions to ultrafast laser science and attosecond physics.
Professor Xiang ZHANG, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU extended his congratulations, remarking, “Professor Krausz’s work has fundamentally redefined the boundaries of what we can measure, allowing us to witness the swiftest processes in the physical world. His election is a profound recognition of a scientist who looks where others once thought it was impossible to see. At HKU, we strive to be a home for the pursuit of fundamental truths, with a view to inspiring the next generation of scholars to push beyond the established limits of human knowledge.”
The NAS recently announced the election of 120 members and 25 international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Reflecting on the honour, Professor Krausz said: “I am deeply grateful for this recognition from the National Academy of Sciences. It reflects many years of collaborative work, and I look forward to continuing to advance attosecond science and its applications.”
Professor Krausz, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023, is widely recognised for pioneering attosecond metrology, enabling the observation of electron dynamics on their natural timescales. His work has opened new frontiers in physics, chemistry, and materials science, with far-reaching implications for both fundamental research and technological innovation.
About Professor Ferenc Krausz
A Hungarian-born Austrian physicist and a pioneer of attosecond science, Professor Krausz earned his doctorate in laser physics with distinction from the Vienna University of Technology in 1991 and completed his habilitation in 1993.
He continued his academic career at the Vienna University of Technology, where he joined as an assistant professor in 1996 and was promoted to full professor in 1999. Since 2004, he has been holding leadership roles as Director of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and as Chair of Experimental Physics - Laser Physics at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.
He founded the Centre for Advanced Laser Applications in Munich in 2015 and the Center for Molecular Fingerprinting (CMF) in 2019. With CMF (cmf.hu), he took the lead in establishing a new type of large-scale prospective longitudinal cohort study, “h4h.hu”, aimed at laying the foundations for personalised preventive healthcare. To this end, he recently initiated a global alliance "Protecting.Health", bringing together CMF, LMU and HKU.
His accolades include the Nobel Prize in Physics (2023), awarded for his experiments with attosecond pulses of light, which he shared with Pierre Agostini and Anne L’Huillier. He is also a recipient of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2023), the Wolf Prize in Physics (2022), and the King Faisal International Prize for Science (2013). His work has contributed to advances in precision measurement and a deeper understanding of fundamental processes in matter.
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