Alfred B. U’Ren

Profile

Alfred Barry U’Ren Cortés is a physicist specializing in quantum optics and the generation and application of nonclassical light. He received his B.Sc. in Physics in 1997 from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico, and his Ph.D. in Optics in 2004 from the University of Rochester, and was a doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, UK, during 2001–2004.

After a research appointment at CICESE (2004–2008), he joined the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), where he is currently full professor and director of the Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares (2024–2028).

U’Ren played a central role in establishing experimental quantum optics in Mexico. He founded and leads the Quantum Optics Laboratory at ICN-UNAM, one of the best-equipped facilities in the region. His research focuses on the generation, characterization and applications of entangled and nonclassical states of light, including photon-pair sources, quantum interference and emerging quantum photonic technologies.

His work has been recognized with several distinctions, including the 2013 Research Prize in Exact Sciences from the Mexican Academy of Sciences, awarded to the most distinguished scientist in Mexico under the age of 40.

U’Ren has contributed extensively to the international optics community. He served as general co-chair of Frontiers in Optics (2014), Optica’s flagship annual meeting, and as topical editor for the Journal of the Optical Society of America B (2015–2021). He has been a senior member of Optica since 2017, joined the editorial board of Optica Quantum in 2023 and was elected an Optica Fellow in 2025.

Alongside his research, he has played an active role in institutional development and academic leadership. As director of the Institute of Nuclear Sciences at UNAM, he leads initiatives in research infrastructure, interdisciplinary collaboration, gender equality, and international partnerships, with a focus on strengthening global engagement in quantum science and photonics.

Election Statement

Optica is entering a period in which scientific excellence must be matched by strategic vision, institutional strength and global integration. As a quantum optics researcher and director of the Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares at UNAM, I work at the intersection of frontier science, infrastructure development, academic leadership and international collaboration. That experience informs my candidacy for Director-at-Large at Optica.

Throughout my career, I have pursued cutting-edge research while helping build the institutional foundations that make such work possible. Leading a major research institute has required long-term strategy, responsible budget management, faculty recruitment, gender balance, infrastructure expansion and the creation of programs that connect science with industry and society. These experiences have reinforced a central lesson: lasting scientific impact depends on strong and resilient institutions.

If elected, I will focus on three priorities.

First, strengthening institutional sustainability. Optica’s conferences, publications and programs set the global standard for our field. Sustaining that leadership requires forward-looking governance, evolving conference models, balanced hybrid engagement, sustainable publishing frameworks and strong industry partnerships that reinforce both scientific excellence and financial stability.

Second, expanding global scientific ecosystems. Optica’s future is inherently international. Having worked extensively in Latin America and through global collaborations, I understand both the barriers and the opportunities facing emerging research regions. I will work to expand partnerships that support capacity building, mobility and deep integration of scientific communities into global networks of excellence.

Third, strengthening the innovation pipeline while promoting responsible technology. Optics and photonics now underpin critical sectors—from AI and telecommunications to energy and national security. As these technologies expand, our community must also address their broader implications, including the ethical use of AI and the environmental footprint of large-scale computation. Optica can lead in advancing both technological progress and responsible innovation.

Optica’s future will depend on combining research excellence with strategic governance, global inclusion and responsible technological leadership. I am committed to helping ensure that Optica remains the leading global society for optics and photonics—resilient, forward-looking and equipped to lead in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape.