{"id":10435,"date":"2026-03-12T09:35:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T00:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.first.iir.isct.ac.jp\/?p=10435"},"modified":"2026-04-06T17:58:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T08:58:47","slug":"detail_2092","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.first.iir.isct.ac.jp\/en\/detail_2092\/","title":{"rendered":"Honorary Prof. Kenichi Iga and Prof. Emeritus Fumio Koyama\u2014Elected the Japan Academy Prize\uff08March 12, 2026\uff09"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Award Recipient<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nHonorary Professor Kenichi Iga<\/a>\uff0cProfessor Emeritus\/Specially Appointed Professor Fumio Koyama\uff08Quantum Photonics and Optoelectronics Research Core\uff09<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Conferrer<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nThe Japan Academy<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Award<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nThe 116th Japan Academy Prize<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Subject<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nRealization, Performance Enhancement and Application Expansion of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers\uff08Joint Research\uff09<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Date<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nMarch 12, 2026<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Overview<\/span><\/h2>\n

Honorary Professor Kenichi Iga and Professor Emeritus\/Specially Appointed Professor Fumio Koyama have been selected as recipients of the 2026 Japan Academy Prize. The announcement was made by the Japan Academy on March 12, with the award ceremony scheduled to take place on July 13 at the Japan Academy. Additionally, Professor Emeritus Toshikazu Sunada of Meiji University (a 1972 graduate of the Faculty of Science at this university) was also among the newly named recipients.
\nThe Japan Academy Prize is one of the most prestigious academic awards in Japan, presented by the Japan Academy to researchers who have achieved particularly outstanding academic results.
\nHonorary Professor Iga and Professor Emeritus\/Specially Appointed Professor Koyama have spent many years advancing research on the realization, performance enhancement, and application of the Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL). The VCSEL is a type of semiconductor laser that serves as a light source characterized by low power consumption, high efficiency, and high-density integration. It is now widely utilized in fields such as optical communications, data centers, and sensing.
\nIn 1977, Honorary Professor Iga proposed the basic concept and structure of the VCSEL, achieving its initial operation at low temperatures in 1979. He continued to refine the device, focusing on enhancing the performance of the resonator that allows light to travel vertically. In collaboration with Professor Emeritus Koyama, he succeeded in achieving continuous-wave (CW) oscillation at room temperature in 1988. This breakthrough triggered a massive expansion of surface-emitting laser technology, leading to significant growth in applications such as Local Area Networks (LANs), high-speed optical communications for data centers, facial recognition, and optical radar (LiDAR). This award recognizes their long-standing pioneering research in the fields of semiconductor lasers and optoelectronics, as well as the profound social and industrial impact of their work.
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Figure 1: Basic structure of a Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser<\/span><\/td>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Comments from the Awardees \/ Honorary Professor Kenichi Iga
\n<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"
\nIt is a great honor to receive this award. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the many collaborators, students, and all those who have supported this research over the years. The development of surface-emitting laser research has been made possible through the efforts of many people. I hope to continue contributing, even in a small way, to the further advancement of the field of optoelectronics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Emeritus and Specially Appointed Professor Fumio Koyama<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"
\n\u300cI am truly honored to receive such a prestigious award. The research on increasing the speed and expanding the applications of surface-emitting lasers is the result of collaborative work with many fellow researchers. I intend to continue my research to contribute to the development of next-generation optical interconnect technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Fumio Koyama Research Results<\/span><\/h2>\n