The Solid State Physics Laboratory warmly congratulates Mathieu Kociak, CNRS Research Director, on receiving the 2026 Peter Duncumb Award for Excellence in Microanalysis, one of the highest international distinctions awarded in the field of microanalysis.
Awarded annually by the Microanalysis Society (MAS), the leading North American scientific society dedicated to microanalysis and microscopy characterization techniques, this prize recognizes an active researcher for their overall scientific, technical, educational, and leadership contributions. Recipients are selected following a nomination process by their peers and an evaluation by the Society’s board.
This distinction recognizes more than twenty years of pioneering work by Mathieu Kociak in nano-optics and electron microscopy. His research has profoundly renewed the study of the optical properties of individual nanostructures through the development of new experimental approaches, notably combining electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), transmission electron microscopy cathodoluminescence (STEM-CL), and, more recently, electron energy gain spectroscopy (EEGS). These instrumental developments have opened new avenues for exploring the interactions between electrons, photons, and matter at the nanoscale.
The prize committee also highlights his leading role in the development of the scientific community through the design of cutting-edge instruments, the management of major national and European projects, the training of young researchers, and numerous international collaborations. Among his recent distinctions is also the awarding of an ERC Advanced Grant (FreeQCC), dedicated to the study of quantum coherence phenomena with free electrons.
The Peter Duncumb Award recognizes a career marked by major conceptual and instrumental advances that have permanently transformed the possibilities offered by electron microscopy for studying the optical properties of nanomaterials.
Congratulations to Mathieu Kociak on this international recognition!
Bradley T De Gregorio, Andrew A Herzing, The Microanalysis Society 2026 Award Recipients, Microscopy Today, Volume 34, Issue 4, July 2026, Pages 11–13, https://doi.org/10.1093/mictod/qaag081