IIT Hyderabad Announce Nobel Winning Scientist Anne L’Huillier as a Plenary Speaker at PHOTONICS 2026
Telangana: A scientist whose work has enabled researchers to observe the movement of electrons on an incredibly short timescale will be attending one of India's largest international photonics events. The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) have announced that Professor Anne L’Huillier, the 2023 Nobel Laureate in Physics will be attending as a plenary speaker.
The conference will take place between the 9th and 13th December 2026 and will be hosted by IIT Hyderabad in Telangana. This adds to the list of high-profile international scientists attending PHOTONICS 2026. Prof. L’Huillier is currently associated with Lund University in Sweden. Her research on attosecond science has enabled scientists to expand how they can observe processes within atoms and molecules.
Why Anne L’Huillier is Attending this Event
Prof. L’Huillier was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, alongside Pierre Agostini and Ferenc Krausz, for developing experimental methods to produce light pulses in attoseconds to observe electron dynamics. An attosecond is a quintillionth of a second. This enables scientists to observe processes on incredibly short timescales.
Her groundbreaking work has contributed to the development of attosecond physics, the study of how electrons move and behave within matter. This provides insight into fundamental physical processes. Her plenary talk will provide participants with insight into the latest research in ultrafast optics, lasers and fundamental physics.
High Order Harmonic Generation and Attosecond Light Pulses
One of the key areas of research that Prof. L’Huillier has been involved with is high order harmonic generation (HHG). This occurs when intense laser light interacts with atoms or gases. This creates light at a much higher frequency than the original laser. Under the right conditions, the harmonics can combine to create very short light pulses.
This enables researchers to observe how electrons behave in real time. Her work has helped develop experimental techniques to observe ultrafast electron dynamics. This has implications for understanding how matter behaves at a fundamental level and has influenced the development of ultra-fast laser technology.
PHOTONICS 2026: What to Expect at IIT Hyderabad Event
PHOTONICS 2026 is the 17th International Conference on Fiber Optics and Photonics. It is being hosted by IIT Hyderabad in conjunction with the University of Hyderabad, DRDO CHESS and TIFR Hyderabad. The conference aims to provide a hub for researchers, industry professionals and students in various areas of photonics. The technical programme includes:
- Lasers and Nonlinear Optics
- Fibre and Waveguide Photonics
- Quantum Photonics and Quantum Technologies
- Optical Communication
- Biophotonics
- Nanophotonics, Plasmonics and Metamaterials
- Photonics for Sensing and Metrology
- Ultrafast and High Intensity Optics
- Opto-electronics and Photonic Devices
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Other plenary speakers include Prof. Donna Strickland, the 2018 Nobel Laureate in Physics, Prof. Ursula Keller, Prof. Chennupati Jagadish and Prof. Sir David Payne. Alongside the technical talks, there will be activities to help bridge the gap between research and industry.
PhotonBridge enables collaboration between industry and academia, SheShines provides support for women within optics, LaunchLight supports start-ups and InsightLab provides a research and mentoring hub for PhD scholars.
Dates, Venue and Official Conference Website
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Particulars |
Details |
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Conference |
PHOTONICS 2026 |
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Edition |
17th International Conference on Fiber Optics and Photonics |
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Host institution |
IIT Hyderabad |
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Plenary speaker |
Prof. Anne L’Huillier |
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Recognition |
Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 |
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Dates |
December 9–13, 2026 |
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Venue |
IIT Hyderabad, Telangana |
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Official website |
A Hub for Fundamental Research and New Technology
The announcement of Prof. Anne L’Huillier provides PHOTONICS 2026 with a very valuable scientific insight. Her research shows how developments in laser technology can be used to observe processes in new ways.
Students and early career researchers will be able to keep up to date with the latest developments in photonics. This conference covers a wide range of topics including quantum technologies, optical communication, attosecond science and ultrafast lasers. It is expected to provide a wide overview of how research in light is impacting modern science and technology.
FAQs
1. Who is the Nobel Laureate announced as a plenary speaker at PHOTONICS 2026?
IIT Hyderabad has announced Prof. Anne L’Huillier, the 2023 Nobel Laureate in Physics, as a plenary speaker at PHOTONICS 2026.
2. When will PHOTONICS 2026 take place?
PHOTONICS 2026 will be held from December 9 to 13, 2026.
3. Where will PHOTONICS 2026 be organized?
PHOTONICS 2026 will be organized at IIT Hyderabad.
4. For what reason was Anne L’Huillier awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics?
L’Huillier was awarded the prize for developing and applying innovative imaging methods using attosecond light pulses to study ultrafast processes in electron dynamics in matter.
5. What is attosecond science?
It is the science of ultrafast processes and study of electron movements in atoms and molecules using attosecond light pulses.
6. What is high-order harmonic generation?
It is the generation of high frequency light from matter when it interacts with very intense laser pulses. High-order harmonic generation is an important method to produce ultrashort attosecond light pulses.
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