Thomas Young Medal and Prize recipients

2023

Professor David Andrews and Professor Ventsislav Valev
University of Bath

For the discovery of chirality-sensitive optical harmonic scattering, first predicted theoretically in 1979 and demonstrated experimentally 40 years later.

Find out more about Professor David Andrews and Professor Ventsislav Valev

2022

Professor Thomas F Krauss
University of York

For pioneering contributions to semiconductor photonic nanostructures.

2021

Professor Polina Bayvel
Optical Networks Group, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, UCL

For distinguished contributions to the development of optical communications and the understanding of the physics and mitigation of nonlinear phenomena in optical-fibre transmission.

2020

Professor Mete Atatüre
University of Cambridge

For his pioneering contributions to quantum optical phenomena in semiconductors and diamond, creating exciting applications in quantum technologies.

2019

Professor William Barnes
University of Exeter
For his outstanding contributions to the development of nanophotonics, especially in plasmonics and nanoscale light-molecule interactions.

2018

Professor Dieter Jaksch
University of Oxford
For his contributions to theoretical proposals enabling the study of non-equilibrium quantum many-body dynamics with unprecedented microscopic control in ultra-cold atoms, and establishing them as a quantum technologies platform.

2017

Professor Kishan Dholakia
University of St Andrews
For his contributions to the field of optical micromanipulation using shaped light fields in liquid, air and vacuum..

2015

Professor Nikolay Zheludev
University of Southampton, UK, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
For global leadership and pioneering, seminal work in optical metamaterials and nanophotonics.

2013

Professor Jeremy J Baumberg
University of Cambridge
For his pioneering contributions to nanophotonics, and in particular for demonstrating the wide variety of coherent optical interactions of semiconductors.

2011

Professor Ian A Walmsley
University of Oxford
For his innovative contributions to optical physics and technology, in particular in the areas of quantum control, quantum optics and ultra-fast metrology.

2009

Professor Leslie Allen and Professor Miles Padgett
University of Glasgow
In recognition of their pioneering work on optical angular momentum.

2008

Professor Patrick Gill
The National Physical Laboratory
For world leading contributions to optical-frequency metrology.

2007

James Roy Taylor
Imperial College, London
For his contributions to the development of modern solid-state lasers.

2005

Philip St John Russell
University of Bath
For his proposal of the concept of photonic crystal fibres and his outstanding contribution to their development and practical application.

2003

J Roy Sambles

2001

Stephen J Pennycook

1999

Peter Leonard Knight

1997

Keith Burnett

1995

John Gilroy Rarity and Paul Richard Tapster

1993

John Christopher Dainty

1991

Parameswaran Hariharan

1989

Leonard Mandel

1987

Rodney Loudon

1985

John David Lawson

1983

James Morris Burch

1981

Nicholas John Phillips

1979

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji

1977

Robert Clark Jones

1975

Daniel Joseph Bradley

1973

Walter Thompson Welford

1971

Charles Gorrie Wynne

1969

Giuliano Toraldo di Francia

1967

Dennis Gabor

1965

André Maréchal

1963

Charles Hard Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow