UT Physicist Edoardo Baldini Receives International Young Scientist Award

Recognized for his groundbreaking research on quantum materials and terahertz light, University of Texas at Austin physicist Edoardo Baldini has been named the recipient of the 2027 Young Scientist Award from the International Society of Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves.

Baldini was awarded for his work investigating how polar crystals respond to intense terahertz fields, advancing understanding of how these powerful bursts of light can be used to control the behavior of quantum materials.

"I am honored to receive this recognition from the international infrared, millimeter-wave, and terahertz research community," Baldini said. “Our goal is to understand how intense pulses of light can be used not only to observe quantum materials, but also to control their properties in fundamentally new ways. This award reflects the creativity and hard work of the members of my research group and our collaborators, and I am deeply grateful to them.”

Since joining UT in 2022, Baldini has led the Quantum Condensed Matter Group, which develops advanced laser techniques to investigate and control the behavior of quantum materials on ultrafast timescales. By using intense terahertz pulses—bursts of electromagnetic radiation that can directly excite vibrations of atoms and collective oscillations in solids—they uncover how these motions interact and how light can be used to manipulate materials in ways that are not possible under ordinary conditions. Their work opens new opportunities to discover and control quantum phases of matter, with potential implications for future electronic and spintronic technologies.

The Young Scientist Award honors early-career researchers who have made innovative, interdisciplinary contributions to the fields of infrared, millimeter and terahertz waves. Recipients are selected by an international committee. Baldini will deliver a keynote presentation at the society’s annual conference in Fukuoka, Japan in 2027.