Mete Atatüre, a member of Sabancı University's "Distinguished Research Fellowship" program, was appointed as the head of department of the Cavendish Laboratory in the Department of Physics at Cambridge University.
Carrying out studies in the field of quantum physics, Mete Atatüre has been working as a faculty member at the Department of Physics at Cambridge University since 2007. With his research to better understand the nature of light, Atatüre carried out the 'noise measurement’ of the so-called immeasurable light level. With this work, he took an important step towards quantum computers and quantum communication. He also conducts studies on subjects such as the optical control of solid-state spin-photon interfaces, the development of nanoscale quantum sensors, and the investigation of new quantum materials and devices.
Atatüre received the Thomas Young Medal in 2020, becoming the first Turkish physicist to do so. Atatüre is a member of the Physics Institute, the American Optical Society, Academia Europaea, and the Turkish Academy of Sciences.
Founded in 1873 and named after the British naturalist Henry Cavendish, known as the discoverer of hydrogen, the Cavendish Laboratory has hosted 30 Nobel laureates to date. Previous directors of the laboratory include legendary figures such as Maxwell, Rayleigh, and Rutherford, who made many important discoveries in the world of science. The appointment of Mete Atatüre as department head of the Cavendish Laboratory was announced on the official page of the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge.
Commenting on his appointment to the role, Mete Atatüre said, "I am incredibly honoured to be trusted in this role and to follow in the footsteps of everyone who made the Cavendish Laboratory what it is today. As past successes have shaped our present, today’s dedication to curiosity will define tomorrow’s breakthroughs.”