We are pleased to announce a free public lecture in Sendai featuring Professor Donna Strickland, recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Strickland was awarded the Nobel Prize for her pioneering work on chirped pulse amplification, a method for generating extremely intense and ultrashort laser pulses. This breakthrough has become a foundation of modern high-intensity laser science, with applications ranging from fundamental physics and precision manufacturing to medical technologies.

Before Strickland's lecture, Professor Jiro Itatani of the University of Tokyo will give an introductory talk in Japanese, especially aimed at non-scientists and high school students.

He will explain how ultrashort laser pulses allow scientists to observe the fastest motions of matter and how this research may contribute to future technologies and society. Because light is not only a tool for seeing the world, it can also be used to control matter, create new technologies and explore nature at its fastest timescales.

Strickland's lecture will be in English, but simultaneous interpretation will be available. Anyone who is interested - including junior high and high school students - is welcome to attend.

Date: September 30, 2026
Time: 5 - 7 p.m. (Doors open at 4 p.m.)
Venue: Sendai Mediatheque, 1F Open Square (Map)
This event is also available online.
Simultaneous English/Japanese interpretation for both lectures will be available.

For more details about the event, please visit:
https://www.tfc.tohoku.ac.jp/junior-research-program/event/9041.html