Optica’s 2026 C.E.K. Mees Medal
ICREA Prof. at ICFO Jens Biegert is awarded the 2026 C.E.K. Mees Medal from Optica for his outstanding contributions in the field of Ultrafast and Attosecond Optics.
Optica, formerly the Optical Society, has named ICREA Prof at ICFO Dr. Jens Biegert, leader of the Attoscience and Ultrafast Optics research group at ICFO, as the 2026 recipient of the C.E.K. Mees Medal, one of the field’s most prestigious honors recognizing pioneering uses of optics across scientific disciplines.
Biegert is recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to ultrafast and attosecond optics, where he has helped develop intense few-cycle laser sources and advanced techniques for probing matter on extremely short time scales. His research has enabled scientists to visualize and control molecular and electronic dynamics with unprecedented temporal resolution, with pioneering contributions to molecular imaging, high-harmonic generation, and ultrafast spectroscopy, thus opening new frontiers in physics, chemistry, and materials science. He has had
He has received numerous international honors, including the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, recognizing his significant contributions to the field which have had an impact on ultrafast laser science and attosecond research.
The C.E.K. Mees Medal, established in 1961 in memory of photographic science pioneer Charles E. Kenneth Mees, honors achievements that demonstrate how optics transcends disciplinary boundaries. Previous recipients have included leading innovators in nanophotonics, spectroscopy, and optical interconnect technologies.
By awarding the 2026 medal to Biegert, Optica highlights the growing impact of ultrafast photonics and attosecond science, fields that are transforming fundamental research and enabling next-generation technologies in imaging, spectroscopy, and quantum science.