French Nobel-winning laser scientist Gérard Mourou joins China’s top university

The renowned physicist is expected to play a crucial role in setting up a cutting-edge international research institute in Beijing

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French physicist Gérard Mourou, a joint winner of the Nobel Physics Prize in 2018, has relocated to Beijing as a chair professor at Peking University. Photo: Weibo/Peking University

Published: 2:00pm, 24 Oct 2024Updated: 5:57pm, 24 Oct 2024

French physicist and Nobel laureate Gérard Mourou has joined Peking University’s school of physics as a chair professor, where he is expected to play a “crucial role” in the establishment of an institute focused on research and international collaborations.

Mourou’s appointment was announced on the school’s website on Monday. The 80-year-old began his new role on October 12 and was spending the first weeks meeting students and leading researchers at the teaching and research facilities, it said.

According to the school, Mourou’s contributions are expected to be crucial in establishing the new institute. Its research would cover areas such as laser physics, particle and nuclear physics, medical physics, and astrophysics, it said.

Mourou shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work on chirped pulse amplification – a technique that enabled the application of ultra-fast lasers to fields such as eye surgery and precision manufacturing.

His career has included extensive, long-term collaborations with numerous universities and institutions in China and he has spoken highly of the country’s advancements in science.

Mourou played a key role in the development of a laser-driven, multi-beam facility – a joint project between Peking University, the École Polytechnique in Paris, and the global technology company Thales.

At a public event in Beijing, shortly after receiving the Nobel Prize, Mourou expressed his admiration for China’s scientific progress. “The gap is really narrowing. I was amazed to see the progress. I don’t know how you can do better than that,” he said.