Springer author Peter Zoller of the University of Innsbruck has been awarded the 2006 Dirac Medal of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. Zoller is honored for his work in atomic physics, including proposing the use of trapped ions for quantum computing. The Dirac Medal is one of the world's most prestigious physics prizes.
Peter Zoller is currently scientific director of the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Innsbruck. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Innsbruck in 1977. His professional career has taken him to universities all over the world, including the USA, France, the Netherlands, Austria and China. His field of specialization is theoretical quantum optics, atomic physics and quantum information. Zoller is co-author of the Springer book Quantum Noise and a contributor to numerous Springer books and journals.
The Dirac Medal, worth US$ 5,000, has been awarded every year since 1985 by the ICTP, which is based in Trieste, Italy. The Medal is given in honor of P.A.M. Dirac (1902 – 1984), one of the greatest physicists of the 20th century and a staunch friend of the Centre. It is awarded annually on Dirac's birthday, 8 August, to scientists who have made significant contributions to physics. The Medalists also receive a prize of US$ 5,000.