The ICB Laboratory is pleased to announce that Guy Millot, Professor at the University of Burgundy Europe and researcher in the Photonics Department, has been awarded the 2026 Léon Brillouin Grand Prize by the French Optical Society (SFO). This prestigious award recognizes his entire scientific career and his major contributions to the development of nonlinear optics and photonics.
It also acknowledges a scientific career marked by a remarkable ability to open new fields of research. After pioneering work in laser spectroscopy, Guy Millot became passionate about optical fibers and solitons, a field he discovered through his teaching activities. “Through my teaching, I discovered the field of solitons and optical fibers, for which I developed a true passion,” he explains. This scientific intuition will contribute to making Dijon one of the international centers of excellence in nonlinear optics.
Throughout his career, Guy Millot has contributed to the emergence of topics now widely explored by the international scientific community. His work has notably led to major advances in understanding the nonlinear phenomena of light propagation in optical fibers and has paved the way for numerous applications in photonics and telecommunications.
Among the highlights of his career is his collaboration with the group of German physicist Theodor Hänsch, a pioneer of frequency combs and Nobel laureate in physics. Invited to Hänsch’s laboratory in Garching in 2015, Guy Millot continues to develop his new electro-optical double-comb spectroscopy approach, which he initially conceived and developed at the ICB. His work, published in the journal Nature Photonics, is now among the most cited references in the field.
“I have always paid particular attention to mentoring young researchers. Today, several of them lead their own teams or have received prestigious awards. That is my greatest pride.” G. Millot
Beyond his scientific contributions, this distinction also underscores his long-standing commitment to the development of optics research in Dijon. Guy Millot has played a pivotal role in structuring and enhancing the reputation of a research school that is now internationally recognized. His involvement in training and mentoring numerous generations of doctoral students and researchers has contributed to the emergence of a dynamic and renowned scientific community.
The awarding of the 2026 Léon Brillouin Grand Prize is a major recognition of his scientific career, as well as of the excellence of the research conducted at the ICB laboratory in the fields of optics and photonics.
The entire laboratory extends its sincerest congratulations to Guy Millot on this remarkable distinction.
