Tobias Kippenberg

Tobias Kippenberg is a Full Professor of Physics at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he leads the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurements (LPQM) within the School of Basic Sciences and the Institute of Physics. He holds joint affiliations with the School of Engineering (STI) and teaches in departments including Electrical Engineering, Microengineering, and Physics education programs. His office is located at EPFL’s PH D3 355 building in Lausanne, Switzerland.

• Bachelor of Arts in Physics, RWTH Aachen (1998)
• Bachelor of Arts in Electrical Engineering, RWTH Aachen (1998)
• Master of Science in Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology (2000)
• PhD in Physics, California Institute of Technology (2004)
• Habilitation in Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2009)

Professor Kippenberg’s research centers on experimental and theoretical photonics, with a focus on high-Q optical microcavities and their applications in cavity quantum optomechanics and precision frequency metrology. His group has pioneered the development of chip-scale optical frequency combs and observed radiation pressure effects that laid the foundation for cavity optomechanics. His work bridges fundamental quantum science with practical applications in communications, sensing, and quantum information processing.

The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend toward integrated quantum photonics, with emphasis on soliton microcombs, low-loss photonic circuits, piezoelectric tuning, microwave-optical transduction, and quantum optomechanics. These works span high-impact journals such as Nature, Science, and Optica, showcasing innovations in materials like lithium tantalate and silicon nitride, and applications in quantum computing and ultrafast communications.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards:

• ZEISS Research Award (2018)
• Klung-Wilhelmy Prize (2015)
• Swiss Latsis Prize (2014)
• ICO Prize in Optics (2013)
• Fresnel Prize (EPS, 2009)
• Helmholtz Prize for Metrology (2009)
• Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (2014–2017)
• Fellow of APS and OSA

Kippenberg has advised over 40 PhD students, both current and former, many of whom have gone on to prominent research careers. His group has secured major grants, including a Marie Curie Excellent Grant, and continues to lead cutting-edge research in quantum photonics. He teaches advanced courses such as Statistical Physics IV and Quantum Electrodynamics and Quantum Optics, contributing significantly to graduate education at EPFL.

He leads the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurements (LPQM), a multidisciplinary team focused on developing novel photonic devices and exploring quantum phenomena in engineered systems. The lab emphasizes scalable, chip-based platforms for quantum technologies and collaborates widely across disciplines and institutions.