Past Winner
2020 NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering

Today’s computer technology is nearing the limits of its processing power, and the only solution is to move to a platform beyond electronics. José Azaña and Roberto Morandotti conceive and create revolutionary information-processing and computing technology that harnesses light and mind-bending physics to surpass the limits of today’s hardware. Their work in classical computer processing has produced a series of celebrated innovations that replace electronic computer components with optical counterparts. A key advantage of their joint developments is that they are based on practical integrated (on-chip) technology that scales the next-generation components down to a size suited for applications outside a laboratory.

Azaña and Morandotti’s early successes enabled them to expand the scope of their research and design technology for quantum computing. Their latest developments include on-chip systems for the generation and manipulation of complex quantum states, the fundamental hardware needed to generate, transmit and process quantum information. Their advancements are milestone achievements for the realization of high-performing systems capable of processing data thousands of times faster than today’s supercomputers. Morandotti and Azaña’s innovations will be used to aid researchers searching for new medicines and treatments, designing new materials, find clean energy alternatives, enhance artificial intelligence, and more.

For their outstanding collaboration and many breakthroughs, José Azaña and Roberto Morandotti are the recipients of the 2020 NSERC Brockhouse Award for Interdisciplinary Research.

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