Claire
Gmachl is an associate professor of electrical engineering and
the director of a multimillion NSF engineering research center named Mid-IR
Technologies for Health and Environment (MIRTHE) at Princeton University. She
is best known for her work in development of quantum cascade lasers and has
demonstrated many innovative quantum cascade laser concepts. Her other achievements
include 2005 MacArthur Foundation’s “Genius Grant”, 2006 Esquire
Magazine’s “Best & Brightest” and Popular Science Magazine’s
“Brilliant 10” in 2004; she is a member of the MIT Technology Review
TR100 of 2002. Prof. Gmachl is also a co-recipient of the “The Snell Premium”
award of the IEE, UK, 2003 and the 2000 “NASA Group Achievement Award”,
and a recipient of the 1996 “Solid State Physics Award” of the Austrian
Physical Society and the “1995 Christian Doppler Award” for engineering
sciences including environmental sciences. She received her Ph.D. degree (sub
auspicies praesidentis) in electrical engineering from the Technical University
of Vienna, Austria, in 1995.