Hau, Harris, Tsakmakidis for 2026 Nobel in Physics?

[Luxemburg PhD]

TL;DR

For extreme control over the velocity of light.

The first two discovered slow and stopped light, while Tsakmakidis the rainbow trapping effect.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Is this your prediction or who the industry think likely will win?

Here was last year

P

Graduate Thread 'Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 predictions'

Sep 2, 2025

Similar to the 2024 thread, here I start the 2025 thread. As always it is getting increasingly difficult to predict, so I will make a list based on other article predictions. You can also leave your prediction here.

Here are the predictions of 2024 that did not make it:

• Peter Shor, David Deutsch and all the rest of the quantum computing community (various sources)
• Pablo Jarrillo Herrero, Allan McDonald and Rafi Bistritzer for magic angle in twisted graphene (various sources)
• Christoph Gerber for atomic force microscope (Clarivate)
• Roberto Car and Michele Parinello...

• pines-demon
• Replies: 37
• Forum: Other Physics Topics

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[Luxemburg PhD]

Lene Vestergaard Hau: landmark demonstrations of ultraslow and stored light in ultracold atomic gases.
Stephen E. Harris: foundational development of electromagnetically induced transparency and coherent control of light propagation.
Kosmas L. Tsakmakidis: influential theoretical work on broadband light stopping and trapped-rainbow photonics.

Together they represent a coherent light-control narrative, although any 2026 Nobel case remains speculative and requires enduring, independently validated impact.

 

[sbrothy]

I was under the probably naive impression that the Danish phycisist Lene Hau "stopped light" some time ago...?

EDIT: But I'm sure there's a distinction I don't get.

 

[sbrothy]

Oh sorrry, she was already mentioned. Typical of me.

 

[PAllen]

Unfortunately, while I have been hoping for Hau for many years (I met her once at a talk), I have developed the opinion that the Nobel committee has some blind spot. There have been so many years when she would have be an obvious choice over those chosen, IMO. So I have given up hope.

 

[WWGD]

Lene Vestergaard Hau: landmark demonstrations of ultraslow and stored light in ultracold atomic gases.
Stephen E. Harris: foundational development of electromagnetically induced transparency and coherent control of light propagation.
Kosmas L. Tsakmakidis: influential theoretical work on broadband light stopping and trapped-rainbow photonics.

Together they represent a coherent light-control narrative, although any 2026 Nobel case remains speculative and requires enduring, independently validated impact.

Stephen Harris is not the old nut from Sci.Math/SciMath, right? Maybe Hau can publish with Hu, Wen and Wei.

 

[renormalize]

Maybe Hau can publish with Hu, Wen and Wei.

What?

 

[WWGD]

What?

Hau=How, Wen=When, etc.

 

[berkeman]

Hau=How, Wen=When, etc.

Spoiler

I think he was just adding to your joke.

BTW, I don't think Wei is pronounced "why", but I'm not fluent in that language.

 

[WWGD]

Spoiler

I think he was just adding to your joke.

BTW, I don't think Wei is pronounced "why", but I'm not fluent in that language.

You don't think that? Wei? I guess too, I forgot to include Watt.

 

[WWGD]

What?

Yes, with Watt also. Maybe with Abott and Costello too.