August 9, 2023 Highlights in Photonics: Recognitions and International Awards for Brazilian Researchers
Once again, the Brazilian scientific community shines on the international stage with notable achievements in the photonics field.
Text by Greta Garcia
The renowned Photonics and Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS), hosted in Prague, Czech Republic, acknowledged the Professors Newton Frateschi from the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW – UNICAMP) and Shaya Fainmann from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with the “Best Session Organizers” award.
Professor Newton celebrates the achievement: “This fills me with pride, including for being able to showcase Brazilian photonics expertise to the world (…) The event organizers invited us to orchestrate a photonics session. We embraced the challenge, organizing three sessions with 27 contributions spanning plenary talks, invited lectures, and general submissions. [The topics] were vigorously debated in a conducive environment of learning, exchange, and partnership establishment.”
Adding to the recognition of this collective success, the researcher Christiano J. S. de Matos played a prominent role as a guest speaker, summarizing his diverse and significant projects developed over years in the realm of nonlinear optics in 2D materials. His latest work is being carried out within the iPhD program, in cooperation with the researcher Gustavo Wiederhecker. The consistent engagement of these researchers underscores Brazil’s potential as a leader in photonics research, inspiring new generations to devote themselves to cutting-edge science.
While the PIERS Symposium, hosted by The Electromagnetics Academy (TEMA), brought international recognition to the efforts of Frateschi and Matos, the International Conference on Optical MEMS & Nanophotonics (OMN 2023), in collaboration with the SBFoton International Optics and Photonics Conference (2023 SBFoton IOPC), provided an opportunity for two UNICAMP master’s students, Maria Carolina Volpato (Physics) and Freddy O. J. Poma (Electrical Engineering), to shine in another notable scientific context.
Maria Carolina, Integrated Photonics Group (LPD) member, received an honorable mention for her work under the guidance of Professor Frateschi. Freddy, Integrated Physics Laboratory (LIF) member, received an honorable mention for his work conducted in collaboration with Hugo Enrique Hernandez-Figueroa (Unicamp) and Ruth Rubio-Noriega (INICTEL-UNI Peru). Their achievements highlight the ongoing commitment to nurturing young talents in the pursuit of significant scientific advancements in Brazil.
These accomplishments reflect the importance of collaborative events and forums in promoting international knowledge exchange and driving scientific progress.
We extend our congratulations to the iPhD researchers and the Integrated Photonics Group (LPD) for their achievements in the field of photonics. Their contributions enrich the scientific community, inspire new generations, and bring meaningful advancements to society.