Roberto Morandotti Wins Prestigious IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award 

Congratulations to Professor Roberto Morandotti, the first researcher at INRS to receive this prestigious award in the field of quantum electronics. 

Professeur Roberto Morandotti. Photo Josée Lecompte

Professor Roberto Morandotti, a globally recognized leader in quantum optics and photonics at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), has received the 2025 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonic Society Quantum Electronics Award. This award pays tribute to Professor Morandotti’s pioneering work in entanglement generation and the processing of complex quantum states in photonic devices and systems, both as scientific head at the Ultrahigh Speed Light Manipulation Laboratory and holder of the Canada Research Chair in Smart Photonics. 

“I am extremely proud of this achievement. Being recognized among the brilliant international scientists who won in the past is truly a great honour. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my exceptional research team and the collaborators who make such an important contribution to the work being carried out in my lab at INRS.” 

— Roberto Morandotti, professor at INRS and expert in nonlinear optics 

The award will be formally presented at the IEEE Photonics Conference (IPC) taking place in Singapore November 9 to 13, 2025. 

A distinguished scientific career 

Roberto Morandotti earned his M.Sc. in Physics from the University of Genova in 1993 and his Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow in 1999. He pursued postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of Toronto before joining INRS in 2003 at its Centre Énergie Matérieux Télécommunications. 

He has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles that have been largely cited, including in Nature, Science, and their portfolios. His achievements have been featured on the covers of Optics & Photonics News and Nature Photonics and highlighted by major media outlets locally and internationally, such as La Presse, Québec Science, and BBC News. 

Professor Morandotti’s work has led to numerous patents. He co-founded Ki3 Photonics, a spin-off from his research group that develops quantum photonic solutions that are easily implemented in existing telecommunications networks.   

He has mentored over 200 students and postdoctoral fellows to date, with 24 now holding prestigious faculty positions worldwide, including some who are Canada Research Chairs and ERC grantees. His mentorship was recognized by the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies in 2018. 

“On behalf of the community at INRS, I extend my sincere congratulations to Professor Roberto Morandotti for receiving the IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award. This prestigious recognition highlights the exceptional quality and impact of his research in quantum photonics. Professor Morandotti is not only one of the most prolific and forward-thinking researchers, but also a driving force in shaping the future of quantum technologies on a global scale.” 

Isabelle Delisle, Scientific Director, INRS

A visionary in quantum photonics 

Professor Roberto Morandotti’s research has revolutionized quantum photonics, a key field for future technologies. He has developed innovative methods to generate and manipulate entangled photons—light particles that are linked together—using miniaturized devices compatible with telecommunications networks. These advances have enabled the creation of ultra-secure quantum communication systems capable of transmitting encryption keys at very high speeds. 

By overcoming major technical challenges, such as signal instability and the complexity of optical systems, he has demonstrated that these technologies can be integrated into existing infrastructures. His recent work paves the way for practical applications in quantum simulation, metrology, and artificial intelligence. It lays the foundation for commercial quantum networks that are reliable, scalable, and ready for deployment. 

Congratulations to Roberto Morandotti for this prestigious award! 

About IEEE  

IEEE is a global professional organization with more than 460,000 members. It fosters technological innovation by sponsoring conferences, publishing academic journals, honouring the achievements of community members, and other activities. The IEEE Photonics Society is the portion of the organization that focuses on research into the quantum behaviour of particles of light.