Kenneth J Button Award Winners

Current Winner

2024

Jerome Faist

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

“for contributions to the emergence of new semiconductor infrared and terahertz sources and to the understanding of light-matter interactions.”

About the Award

The Kenneth J Button Prize is awarded annually at the International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves in recognition of outstanding contributions to the science of infrared, millimeter, and terahertz waves. The Prize is named after the founder of the Conference Series and is administered by the Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Society. It consists of a medal and a cash prize of $3000. At each annual meeting of the Conference, the Kenneth J Button Prize Committee meets to consider the nominations that have been submitted and elects the recipient of the Prize for the following year. The presentation is made at the following annual meeting of the Conference and the recipient is normally invited to give a plenary lecture at that meeting.

In 1990 an award called “The Infrared and Millimeter Wave Prize,” to be awarded “for outstanding contributions to the field of infrared and millimeter waves,” was initiated by the Program Council (now known as the International Organizing Committee) and awarded in the first instance to Kenneth J Button, founder of the conference series. The following year it was agreed by the Program Council to rename the Prize “The Kenneth J Button Prize” in recognition of Ken Button’s outstanding contributions to the Infrared and Millimeter Wave Community, both as a scientist and as the initiator and driving force of this series of conferences. In September 2013, the criterion for awarding the Prize was changed to its present form: “for outstanding contributions to the science of infrared, millimeter, and terahertz waves”.

Any scientist active in the field of the Conference may make a nomination for the K J Button Prize. The closing date for receipt of nominations for the following year is generally April 15, but check this web site each year to make certain. The closing date will be strictly observed. Any nominations received after that date will be carried forward to the following year. NOMINATION FORM

The deadline for submitting nomination for the following year is April 15. For example the 2023 Nominations are due on April 15, 2022. The closing date will be strictly observed.

Previous Winners

2023 Martin Dressel

2022 Hiromasa Ito

2021 Paul Goldsmith

2020 Alfred Leitenstorfer

2019 Dmitri Basov

2018 Qing Hu

2017 Federico Capasso

2016 T. Idehara

2015 P. Goy

2014 X C Zhang

2013 K Sakai

2012 G Nusinovich

2011 D Grischkowsky

2010 D B Rutledge

2009 F Keilmann

2008 A Litvak

2007 T J Parker

2006 X C Shen

2005 N C Luhmann, Jr

2004 M F Kimmitt

2003 S G Liu

2002 A Hadni

2001 K R Chu

2000 M Thumm

1999 A J Sievers

1998 K Mizuno

1997 B Lax - Special bronze medal

1997 P L Richards

1996 M I Petelin

1995 R J Temkin

1994 F K Kneubuhl

1993 J-I Nishizawa

1992 D H Martin

1991 M von Ortenberg