Optics Prize Awarded

The 2011 International Commission for Optics (ICO) /ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award has been presented to two physicists: Ryan Barrido Balili of the Philippines and Ivan Moreno of Mexico. Both are attending the Winter College on Optics in Imaging Science that is being held at ICTP from 31 January to 11 February 2011.

Balili, a professor at Mindanao State University's Iligan Institute of Technology, has done pioneering work in the trapping and condensation of polaritons, providing an important new system in which quantum coherence can be studied, and having potential applications in quantum information processing.

Moreno, a professor at the University of Zacatecas, has made valuable contributions to optics in the field of radiometry and photometry of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that have significantly impacted the design of systems using such LEDs.

The ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award is given to young researchers (under 40) from developing countries who are active in optics research and have contributed to the promotion of optics research activities in their own or another developing country. The annual award includes a cash stipend from ICO as well as full financial support from ICTP for the winner to attend an additional training event at the Centre and give a seminar on his or her work.

The Winter College on Optics in Imaging Science is sponsored by ICTP, ICO, the Optical Society of America (OSA), The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the European Optical Society (EOS), the societa Italiana di Ottica e Fotonica (SIOF), the US National Academy of Science (NAS), the Photonics Society (IEEE), and the Central European Initiative (CEI).

Related links:

• ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award
• ICO