Vladan Vuletic

Vladan Vuletic is the Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a leading researcher in atomic physics and quantum science. He was born in Pe?, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and completed his early education in Germany. In 1992, he received his Physics Diploma with highest honours from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and in 1997 he earned his PhD in Physics (summa cum laude) from the same institution.

After completing his doctorate, Vladan worked at Stanford University with Nobel laureate Professor Steven Chu as a Lynen Fellow of the Humboldt Foundation. In 2000, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Physics at Stanford University. In 2003, he joined MIT as an Assistant Professor, became Associate Professor in 2004, and was promoted to Full Professor in 2011. He has remained at MIT since then and leads the Experimental Atomic Physics Group. He is also affiliated with the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms and the Research Laboratory of Electronics.

Professor Vladan’s research covers ultracold atoms, laser cooling, many-body entanglement, quantum measurements, quantum optics, quantum simulation and quantum computing, as well as precision tests of physics beyond the Standard Model. His work has contributed to major progress in quantum metrology, atomic clocks, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and quantum information science. He has published over 150 refereed scientific papers in leading journals including Nature and Science.

He is also Co-Founder of QuEra Computing Inc., a quantum computing company established in 2018, focused on large-scale neutral-atom quantum processors.

Vladan has received many important honours, including the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (2003), APS Fellowship (2012), Marko Jari? Prize of Serbia (2013), Highly Cited Researcher (2022), AAAS Fellowship (2023), Tesla Spirit Award (2023), and the Arthur Schawlow Prize of the American Physical Society (2025). He has also been recognised for mentoring and academic service.

Professor Vladan Vuletic remains one of the central figures shaping modern quantum science, quantum technology, and precision physics at both academic and industrial levels.

Vladan Vuletic was born in Pe?, Yugoslavia, now Serbia, and was educated in Germany. His interest in physics developed early, leading him to pursue advanced studies in the field. In 1992, he completed his Physics Diploma with highest honours at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Germany. He continued at the same institution and in 1997 earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics with the distinction of summa cum laude. During his doctoral studies, his work focused on atomic and optical physics, an area that would remain central to his scientific career.

After completing his PhD, Vladan  moved to the United States where he joined Stanford University as a Lynen Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. There he worked with Professor Steven Chu, whose group was at the forefront of laser cooling and atomic physics research. This period shaped much of Vladan ’s future work in ultracold atoms, laser cooling, and precision measurement. His research contributed to new experimental techniques for controlling atomic systems and for studying interactions between light and matter with extremely high accuracy.

In 2000, Vladan was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Stanford University. During this period, he established his own research group and began building experimental platforms for studying quantum behaviour in atomic systems. His work expanded into areas such as cavity quantum electrodynamics, atomic collisions, quantum information, and quantum measurement science. In June 2003, he accepted an Assistant Professorship in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One year later, in July 2004, he was promoted to Associate Professor, and in July 2011 he became Full Professor of Physics at MIT. He currently holds the Lester Wolfe Professorship of Physics.

At MIT, Vladan leads the Experimental Atomic Physics Group and is affiliated with the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms and the Research Laboratory of Electronics. His research programme covers ultracold atoms, laser cooling, many-body entanglement, quantum optics, quantum simulation and quantum computing, quantum measurements, quantum metrology, and precision tests of fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model. His laboratory develops advanced techniques to create and control large ensembles of atoms at extremely low temperatures, allowing the study of quantum behaviour on a large scale. These systems are used to build quantum simulators, explore new forms of entanglement, improve atomic clocks, and test physical laws with very high precision.

Vladan has published more than 150 refereed scientific papers in major journals, including Nature and Science. His work on entanglement in optical atomic clocks, the creation of Bose-condensed gases through laser cooling, the development of large-scale programmable quantum simulators, and the study of photon interactions in quantum media has had a strong influence on modern quantum science. These contributions have advanced understanding in quantum information processing, precision measurement, and the development of practical quantum technologies.

Alongside his academic work, Vladan is a co-founder of QuEra Computing Inc., established in 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. The company develops neutral-atom quantum computers based on many of the techniques first demonstrated in his laboratory. Through this role, Vuleti? has helped translate basic scientific research into working quantum computing systems for industrial and commercial use.

Throughout his career, Vladan has received many honours in recognition of his scientific contributions and service. These include the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in 2003, Outstanding Undergraduate Research Opportunities Faculty Mentor of the Year in 2004, Fellowship of the American Physical Society in 2012, the Marko Jari? Prize of Serbia in 2013, Outstanding Referee of the American Physical Society in 2013, Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science in 2022, the Tesla Spirit Award from the Tesla Science Foundation in 2023, Fellowship of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2023, and the Arthur Schawlow Prize of the American Physical Society in 2025.

Vladan Vuletiic continues his work at MIT, where he teaches, supervises graduate and undergraduate researchers, leads large experimental programmes, and contributes to the development of quantum science and quantum technology worldwide.

Vladan Vuletic’s vision is to deepen the understanding of the fundamental laws of nature through precise control of quantum systems and to turn that knowledge into practical technologies that benefit science and society. He aims to develop reliable methods for creating and measuring large-scale quantum states, improve the accuracy of timekeeping and sensing, and build scalable quantum machines. His work seeks to connect basic physics with real-world applications, especially in quantum computing, quantum communication, and precision measurement. Through teaching, research, and collaboration, he works to train future scientists and expand the global quantum science community.

Vladan Vuletic has received wide recognition for his contributions to physics and quantum science. He was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in 2003 and named Outstanding Undergraduate Research Opportunities Faculty Mentor of the Year in 2004. He became a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2012 and received the Marko Jari? Prize of Serbia in 2013. In the same year, he was recognised as an Outstanding Referee of the APS. He was listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science in 2022. In 2023, he received the Tesla Spirit Award and was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2025, he was awarded the Arthur Schawlow Prize of the American Physical Society.