2025 marks a century since the birth of quantum mechanics—an anniversary recognized by the United Nations as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. A hundred years ago, European physicists developed the theory of quantum mechanics, forever changing how scientists understand the universe. Its counterintuitive principles continue to shape the frontiers of research today.
Columbia played a pivotal role in bringing quantum science to the United States. Physicist I.I. Rabi, who joined Columbia’s faculty in the 1920s, helped establish the University as a hub for quantum research. Building on that legacy, Columbia’s engineers, physicists, and chemists continue to collaborate on groundbreaking discoveries that are redefining the field for a new century.
In a recent video, Columbia faculty—Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering Michal Lipson and David M. Rickey Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science and Professor of Electrical Engineering Alexander L. Gaeta—reflect on how quantum science began at Columbia and how their research advances it today.
Michal Lipson pioneered many of the foundational technologies in silicon photonics, a field now viewed as one of the most promising solutions to overcome bottlenecks in microelectronics. She holds over 45 issued patents and has co-authored more than 300 scientific papers. In recognition of her groundbreaking work, she has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her honors include the NAS Comstock Prize in Physics, the MacArthur Fellowship, the Blavatnik Award, Optica’s R. W. Wood Prize, the John Tyndall Award, and the IEEE Photonics Award. She served as President of Optica (formerly The Optical Society) in 2023 and has been named among Thomson Reuters’ top 1% most highly cited researchers in physics every year since 2014.
Alexander L. Gaeta explores quantum and nonlinear optics, studying how laser light interacts with matter to uncover new ways of observing ultrafast physical processes. His research has applications across communications, computing, navigation, chemical sensing, and security. His group’s work in ultrafast nonlinear optics, nanophotonics, and quantum light generation continues to expand the boundaries of what is possible with photonics and quantum technologies.
Together, their research exemplifies how Columbia’s century-long quantum legacy continues to illuminate the path toward the next generation of discovery.
Read original story here.