2026 C.E.K. Mees Medal Winner
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Optica Names Jens Biegert the 2026 C.E.K. Mees Medal Recipient
Optica is pleased to announce that Jens Biegert, ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences and ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Spain, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the C.E.K. Mees Medal. Biegert is honored for pioneering the optical tools that unlock the soft-X-ray regime to transform how physics, chemistry, and quantum materials are explored through mid-IR-driven high-harmonic spectroscopy and element-specific attosecond measurements.
Biegert received his PhD in physics from the Technische Universität München, based on research conducted at the University of New Mexico under the supervision of Jean-Claude Diels. Following his doctorate, he pursued his habilitation at ETH Zürich, where he established a research program in attosecond science. His work focuses on the generation, control, and application of ultrashort laser pulses to probe and manipulate matter on electronic and atomic timescales.
Since joining ICFO, Biegert has been a pioneer of mid-infrared photonics and attosecond soft X-ray science, driving advances in laser technology and ultrafast measurement techniques. His research has enabled new approaches to imaging chemical reactions, tracking electron dynamics in molecules, and observing carrier motion in quantum and condensed-matter systems. He has also made key contributions to laser-induced single-electron diffraction and attoscience, providing powerful tools for resolving quantum dynamics with atomic spatial and attosecond temporal resolution.
Beyond his research, Biegert serves in leadership roles within the international photonics community. He currently coordinates a European Commission FET consortium and participates in two additional FET projects, and is a Guest Professor at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin. He served on Optica's Board of Directors and as Chair of its Meetings Council, and contributed to its Strategic Planning and Finance Councils. He served as Executive Director of Laserlab-Europe, uniting 46 major laser infrastructures across 22 European countries, and as a Board Member of ARIE, representing large-scale analytical research infrastructures across Europe with 40000 researchers.
He is a Fellow of Optica and APS. His additional distinctions include the Allen Prize, the Humboldt Foundation Bessel Prize, and an ERC Advanced Grant.
Established in 1961, the Mees Medal recognizes an original use of optics across multiple fields. It honors the memory of C.E.K Mees who contributed preeminently to the development of scientific photography, and was a charter member of the Society. The medal was endowed by the Mees family.
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.
