Who Won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics?

Who Won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics?

 

“For groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics.”

 

The year 2018 marked one of the most remarkable moments in modern physics — a celebration of laser technologies that revolutionized science, medicine, and industry. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 was awarded to Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou, and Donna Strickland for pioneering innovations in laser physics that opened new frontiers in research and practical applications.

 

Read Also: Who Won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics?

 

This Nobel Prize also made history as Donna Strickland became only the third woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, following Marie Curie (1903) and Maria Goeppert-Mayer (1963).

 

When and Where Was It Announced?

 

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics was announced on October 2, 2018, by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden.
The official award ceremony was held on December 10, 2018, at the Stockholm Concert Hall, where the laureates received their medals and diplomas from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

 

Who Won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics?

 

The prize was divided into two parts:

 

1. Arthur Ashkin (USA) —½ of the Prize

 

Institution: Bell Laboratories, USA
Contribution: Invention of optical tweezers and their application to biological systems

 

2. Gérard Mourou (France) — ¼ of the Prize

 

Institution: École Polytechnique, France & University of Michigan, USA
Contribution: Development of Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA)

 

3. Donna Strickland (Canada) — ¼ of the Prize

 

Institution: University of Waterloo, Canada
Contribution: Co-development of Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA)

 

Official Nobel Citation:

“For groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics.”

What Were the Discoveries About?

 

Arthur Ashkin—The Father of Optical Tweezers

 

Arthur Ashkin invented optical tweezers— a tool that uses laser beams to hold, move, and manipulate microscopic particles like atoms, viruses, and even living cells without touching them.

 

Read Also: Nobel Prize in Physics 2016 – Unlocking Hidden Dimensions of Matter through Topology

 

This technique opened revolutionary possibilities in:

• Biology

• Biophysics

• Medical research

• Nanotechnology

Ashkin’s tweezers even enabled scientists to trap single DNA strands — a major breakthrough in biophysics.

 

Gérard Mourou & Donna Strickland — Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA)

 

Before their work, lasers could not be amplified too much because the intense power would destroy the equipment. Mourou and Strickland solved this by inventing Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA) in 1985 — a technique that stretches a laser pulse, amplifies it safely, then compresses it back to create an ultrashort, extremely powerful pulse.

 

CPA became the foundation of today’s high-intensity lasers, used in:

 

• Eye surgeries (such as LASIK)

• Industrial cutting and welding

• Particle acceleration

• Fundamental physics research

 

Donna Strickland’s leadership in this discovery made her one of the most influential women in modern physics.

 

Understanding the Science

 

Optical Tweezers: Moving Objects with Light

 

Optical tweezers work using the momentum of photons:

 

1. A laser beam is focused into a tiny spot.

2. Small particles are attracted toward the point of highest light intensity.

3. Scientists can move objects by moving the laser.

 

This allows researchers to:

• Study bacteria or viruses

• Pull on DNA molecules

• Measure molecular forces inside cells

 

It’s like having microscopic fingers made of light.

Chirped Pulse Amplification: The Laser Revolution

 

CPA works in three steps:

1. Stretch a short laser pulse

2. Amplify it safely

3. Compress it to get massive energy in a short burst

 

This technique produces some of the shortest and most intense laser pulses ever created.

 

Impact and Legacy

 

Optical Tweezers

• Allowed manipulation of biological systems at the cellular level

• Enabled major advances in genetic and molecular research

• Used in the study of viruses, bacteria, and DNA

 

Chirped Pulse Amplification

• Paved the way for ultra-fast laser technology

• Enabled precise eye surgeries used by millions

• Sparked progress in laser-based physics and industrial applications

 

Historical Milestone

• Donna Strickland became the third female Physics Nobel Laureate

• The discoveries continue to shape medicine, research, and technology

 

About the Laureates

 

Arthur Ashkin

• Born: 1922, New York, USA

• Pioneer of optical manipulation

• His invention opened biophysics to laser tools

 

Gérard Mourou

• Born: 1944, Albertville, France

• Laser physicist specializing in ultrafast lasers

• Co-founded major research centers in France and USA

 

Donna Strickland

• Born: 1959, Guelph, Canada

• Laser physicist at the University of Waterloo

• First woman in 55 years to win the Nobel Prize in Physics

Prize Details

Detail	Information
Year	2018
Field	Physics
Announced on	October 2, 2018
Presented by	Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Ceremony Date	December 10, 2018
Prize Amount	9 million SEK
Winners	Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou, Donna Strickland
Discovery	Optical tweezers; Chirped Pulse Amplification
Significance	Revolutionized laser physics; impacted medicine & industry

 

FAQs About the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics

 

Q1. What are optical tweezers?

 

They are laser-based tools that trap and manipulate microscopic objects like cells and DNA without physical contact.

 

Q2. What is Chirped Pulse Amplification?

 

A method to produce extremely powerful, ultrashort laser pulses without damaging the laser system.

 

Q3. Why was the award historic?

 

Donna Strickland became the third woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.

 

Q4. How are CPA lasers used today?

 

In eye surgeries (like LASIK), industry, and ultrafast laser research.

 

Q5. What fields benefit from optical tweezers?

 

Biology, genetics, medicine, nanotechnology, and materials science.

 

Conclusion

 

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics celebrated inventions that reshaped the world — from medical laser eye surgery to groundbreaking biological and molecular research.
Arthur Ashkin’s optical tweezers revealed the hidden mechanics of life at the microscopic level, while Mourou and Strickland’s CPA technique unleashed laser power that drives modern science and technology.

 

Their achievements continue to impact our daily lives and inspire the next generation of physicists, engineers, and innovators.

 

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