Three scientists from the United States, France and Canada have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for advances in laser physics.
The Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences on Tuesday awarded half the 9-million-kronor ($1.01 million) prize to Arthur Ashkin of the United States and the other half will be shared by Gerard Mourou of France and Canada’s Donna Strickland.
The academy says Ashkin developed “optical tweezers” that can grab tiny particles such as viruses without damaging them.
Strickland and Mourou helped develop short and intense laser pulses that have broad industrial and medical applications.
The awarding of the Nobel Prize in physics to Strickland has ended a drought for women winning any of the prestigious prizes.
Strickland is the first woman to be named a Nobel laureate since 2015. She is also only the third to have won the physics prize — the first was Marie Curie in 1903.
Strickland says her first thought on hearing she’d won the physics prize was “it’s crazy.”
Speaking by phone shortly after the announcement was made in Stockholm on Tuesday, Strickland said: “You do always wonder if it’s real.”
The Canadian said she was honored to be one of the small number of female winners of the physics Nobel so far.
“Obviously we need to celebrate women physicists, because we’re out there,” she said.
Strickland added that “hopefully in time it’ll start to move forward at a faster rate, maybe.”
