Acadia physics grad and University of Ottawa physics professor Paul Corkum has been awarded a prestigious international prize. Corkum attended the 34th King Faisal International Prize ceremony on March 30, 2012, in Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, to receive the award in the science category. 

Dr. Corkum is one of the worlds leading researchers in the field of attosecond (10^-18 seconds) laser pulses. He proposed a method for producing and measuring attosecond pulses and in 2001 he, together with co-workers in Vienna, achieved sub-femtosecond pulses for the first time.

Each winner of the King Faisal International Prize receives a $200,000 prize. Paul Corkum shares this prize with fellow researcher Ferenc Krausz. They each also received a commemorative 24-carat, 200-gram gold medallion. Since the prize was created in 1976, only eight Canadians have won this prestigious award.

“The selection procedure involves a very rigorous process, making the King Faisal International Prize among the world’s most prestigious awards,” says Corkum. “Our area of expertise was viewed as one that holds significant implications for science. Colleagues from around the world have told me just how invaluable this prize is for the field of physics,” he says.

with content from TABARET