2026 Emmett N. Leith Medal Winner
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Optica Names Jürgen Jahns the 2026 Emmet N. Leith Medal Recipient
Optica is pleased to announce that Jürgen Jahns, Fernuniversität in Hagen, Germany, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Emmet N. Leith Medal. Jahns is honored for seminal contributions to novel and compact architectures for optical computing systems.
Jahns received his PhD in physics from the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. His thesis advisor was Prof. Adolf Lohmann, one of the pioneers of information optics. Previously, he worked with Siemens AG on sensors for automation and on digital optical communication systems and AT&T Bell Laboratories as a Member of the Technical Staff to work in the Optical Computing Research Department.
His research areas have included microoptics and nanooptics, optical interconnection, optical information processing and computing. During his time in industry, novel approaches for optical array-based techniques emerged such as laser beam splitting, multistage optical interconnection, and the use of lithographically fabricated diffractive optics. In particular, Jahns came up with the idea of building integrated and miniaturized optical systems in a planar configuration by folding the optical setup into a transparent substrate. This concept has been widely adopted over recent years for neural optical computing systems and for the optics of VR glasses.
Jahns has (co-)authored more than 100 journal articles and several textbooks on microoptics and photonics. He served as President of the European Optical Society from 2015 – 2017. He is a Fellow of Optica and SPIE, a member of EOS and DGaO.
Established in 2006, the Leith Medal recognizes seminal contributions to the field of optical information processing. In assessing the significance of the contribution, consideration is given to all aspects including theoretical and conceptual breakthroughs as well as practical applications. It honors Emmett N. Leith, a world-renowned scientist in holography and optical information processing, and is endowed by General Dynamics, the University of Michigan College of Engineering, USA, Physical Optics Corporation and individual contributors, including Alexander Sawchuk, Joseph Goodman, James R. Fienup, G. Michael Morris, Tom Cathey and James Wyant.
About Optica
Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica's renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement.
