The winner of the Max Born Award from the Optical Society of America is Costas Soukoulis, a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy.

Soukoulis is also a senior scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory.

Soukoulis was recognized by the Max Born Award committee for his “creative and outstanding theoretical and experimental research in the fields of photonic crystals and left-handed metamaterials.”

The Max Born Award has been awarded since 1982.

Bruce Harmon, distinguished professor of physics and astronomy, said it is important for Iowa State to win awards such as the Max Born Award.

“It’s certainly a prestigious award. People winning awards like that one doesn’t happen every year. It reflects well with someone doing really good research,” Harmon said. “It makes everybody happy.”

Soukoulis’ work has been instrumental in the revolutionary fields of photonic crystals and left-handed metamaterials, materials engineered to have properties not usually found in nature.

Soukoulis and his colleagues are responsible for the demonstration of magnetic response and negative index of refraction at optical frequencies.

Soukoulis said he found a passion for science at a young age from looking up at the night sky.

“I was born in a small village [in Greece] and we do not have lights in my village,” Soukoulis said. “I saw stars in the night and would discuss the stars with my friends.” 

Soukoulis said he was chosen along with other students in high school to study trigonometry, algebra and physics. They challenged each other to solve difficult problems.

Soukoulis received his bachelors in science from the University of Athens in 1974, and earned his doctorate in physics from the University of Chicago in 1978. Soukoulis started working at Iowa State and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory in 1984.

Soukoulis said that he has many research plans for upcoming years as well.

“Our group at Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory has repeatedly demonstrated expertise and leadership in the fields of metamaterials, including plasmonic nanostructures and photonic crystals. The proposed work for the next five years will further this position,” Soukoulis said.

Some of that work includes designing, fabricating and understanding 3D metamaterials, understanding and reducing losses in metamaterials, and achieving tunable, nonlinear and switchable metamaterials.

Soukoulis said other than his research, he also enjoys teaching.

“What I like most about teaching is interacting with undergraduates and hopefully showing them the power and importance of logical thinking. This is important for majors who will use physics on a daily basis, but is also vital for any member of a well educated populous,” Soukoulis said.

Harmon said it has been fun to see Soukoulis develop.

“I’ve watched him mature and develop. It’s very exciting. He’s a very passionate person,” Harmon said.