Federico Capasso is a distinguished applied physicist whose pioneering work has fundamentally transformed multiple domains of photonics and semiconductor research. He currently serves as the Robert Wallace Professor of Applied Physics and Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering at Harvard University's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, positions he has held since joining Harvard in 2003. Prior to his academic appointment, Capasso spent 27 highly influential years at Bell Laboratories, where he rose from Postdoctoral Researcher to Vice President of Physical Research, demonstrating exceptional scientific leadership throughout his career. He earned his Doctor of Physics degree summa cum laude from the University of Rome, La Sapienza, in 1973, establishing the foundation for his remarkable contributions to semiconductor physics and optical science.
Professor Capasso pioneered the revolutionary field of band-structure engineering, a technique enabling the design of artificially structured semiconductor materials with precisely tailored properties for specific applications. His most celebrated achievement is the invention of the quantum cascade laser, a fundamentally new light source that revolutionized infrared science and technology by providing unprecedented access to the mid-infrared spectrum. This breakthrough has enabled transformative applications in chemical sensing, medical diagnostics, spectroscopy, and trace gas analysis across scientific and industrial domains. Capasso's subsequent groundbreaking work on metasurfaces and flat optics has opened entirely new avenues for controlling light at the nanoscale, while his high-precision measurements of Casimir forces, including the first observation of repulsive Casimir-Lifshitz forces, have provided critical insights for micro-electro-mechanical systems development.
Capasso's profound influence extends beyond his direct research contributions through his leadership in the scientific community and successful translation of fundamental discoveries into practical applications. He co-founded EOS Photonics to commercialize quantum cascade laser technology, which later merged to form Pendar Technologies, demonstrating his commitment to bridging academic research with real-world impact. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the King Faisal Prize for Science, the IEEE Edison Medal, and the Balzan Prize for Applied Photonics. As a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Capasso continues to shape the future of photonics research while mentoring the next generation of scientists advancing the frontiers of optical physics and nanotechnology.
