Young Scientist Receives Achievement Award

Dr John Morton from the Department of Materials at Oxford University is the 2009 recipient of the Nicholas Kurti European Science Prize. Dr Morton, supported by the Royal Society and St John’s College, has pioneered the

application of techniques of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to combinations of electron and nuclear spins to store quantum information for extended times and to manipulate it with exquisite precision. He was able to establish that such systems, including those based on molecular materials, are viable for a quantum nanotechnology. He is also the founder of quantalk.org, an open online resource aimed at sharing information and promoting discussions in quantum information science and technology.

The Prize, sponsored by Oxford Instruments, is intended to recognise and promote outstanding achievements of young scientists in the field of physical sciences research and to support their career development. It is named after Professor Nicholas Kurti known for his distinguished work in ultralow temperature physics at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University. Dr Morton receives a €8000 cash prize, a trophy and certificate. The winner also has the opportunity to present his work at a conference of his choice.

Previous winners of the prize include Professor Lieven Vandersypen, Dr. Silvano De Franceschi, Dr Andreas Wallraff and Dr Kostantin Novoselov.