As part of a series of celebrations to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its founding, the scientific journal launched the Rising Stars in Optics 2024 initiative. The aim was to honour outstanding early-career professionals making significant contributions in optics. Criteria for the nomination included a maximum of seven years from the date of PhD graduation and publications in major journals (publication in the Journal of Optics was not a requirement). The winners were selected by an expert panel chaired by Editor-in-Chief Professor Andrew Forbes.
The young stars of the discipline represent all continents, not only by birthplace, but also by the location of the institution that employs them. The diversity is present in other forms too: the winners come from several fields of optics. Some of the Rising Stars work in nanophotonics or biological applications, while Balázs Major is a specialist in attosecond physics.
The justification for the award states that Balázs Major is senior research fellow, leader of the HR Attosources Group at ELI ALPS, and assistant professor at the University of Szeged, Hungary. His main scientific achievements include contributions to the development of unique attosecond sources and to the understanding of macroscopic processes in high-harmonic generation. He has been a programme subcommittee member of major optical conferences and has given talks at multiple international meetings.
“I was very happy to receive the award, as it is always nice to get positive feedback. Especially when you see what illustrious company you are in. Some of the winners I have already met through their articles, while others in person. Science metrics show that many of them have significant professional accomplishments despite their young age. I consider this recognition a milestone, as it is feedback from an international scientific community, and provides an excellent opportunity to set new goals for myself,” summarized our colleague, who has so far published one paper in the Journal of Optics.
According to him, attosecond physics is still relatively understudied today, while tens of thousands of physicists specialize in photonics, for example. However, the impact of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, which recognizes the three founders of the field, is palpable, and the discipline attracts more and more attention.