Ignacio Cirac

Spanish quantum physicist Ignacio Cirac has been awarded the 2026 Isaac Newton Medal and Prize, one of the highest honours in physics. Cirac, a director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, is renowned for pioneering work in quantum information theory and quantum computing alongside Peter Zoller. The award recognises his foundational contributions to the field.

Physicist Ignacio Cirac has been awarded the Isaac Newton Medal in recognition of his role as a founding figure of quantum information science. The honour credits his pioneering theoretical work, which helped lay the foundations for quantum computing and quantum communication. The award, one of the top prizes in physics, highlights how central his contributions have become to a now rapidly growing field.