The Nobel Prize in Physics 2018

Arthur Ashkin

© Arthur Ashkin

Prize share: 1/2

Gérard Mourou

© Nobel Media AB. Photo: A. Mahmoud

Prize share: 1/4

Donna Strickland

© Nobel Media AB. Photo: A. Mahmoud

Prize share: 1/4

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 was awarded "for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics" with one half to Arthur Ashkin "for the optical tweezers and their application to biological systems", the other half jointly to Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland "for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses"

To cite this section
MLA style: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2018. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2023. Tue. 5 Dec 2023. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2018/summary/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Streams during Nobel Week

Watch the 2023 Nobel Prize lectures, the Nobel Prize Concert, Nobel Week Dialogue, the prize award ceremonies in Oslo and Stockholm and Nobel Peace Prize Forum here at nobelprize.org.
Watch lectures and award ceremonies

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.

Nobel Prizes and laureates

In 2018, 12 new laureates were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.

Their work and discoveries range from cancer therapy and laser physics to developing proteins that can solve humankind’s chemical problems. The work of the 2018 Nobel Laureates also included combating war crimes, as well as integrating innovation and climate with economic growth. Find out more.
Nobel prizes burgundy 2018