Miguel Anaya Martín, Ramón y Cajal researcher in the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Seville, has been awarded the Young Researcher Award in Experimental Physics at the Physics Awards of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics-Fundación BBVA 2024.
The jury highlighted his important contributions in the field of optoelectronic materials, which are fundamental for the development of more sustainable technologies, such as radiation detectors and semiconductor devices.
Anaya’s work has had a significant impact on the optimization of devices for solar energy, and his research on low-cost semiconductors promises key applications in the field of optoelectronics. These advances have not only improved device efficiency, but also laid the groundwork for a more sustainable future.
Born in Madrid in 1988, Miguel Anaya has developed an outstanding scientific career both in Spain and in the UK. After graduating in Physics at the Autonomous University of Madrid in 2012, he completed a master’s degree and PhD at the Institute of Materials Science in Seville. His research work has led him to collaborate with prestigious international institutions such as the University of Cambridge, where he was a Marie-Sklodowska-Curie and Leverhulme Early Career researcher, and has visited renowned centers such as the University of Oxford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Anaya is the author of numerous scientific articles, inventor of three patents and has given more than 10 international conferences. His work has been recognized with several awards, including the Premio Joven a la Cultura Científica del Ayuntamiento de Sevilla and the SPIE Scholarship.
The Royal Spanish Physics Society-BBVA Foundation Physics Awards, established in 1958, annually recognize creativity and effort in physics research, with special attention to young scientists. Since 2007, the BBVA Foundation has joined this initiative to promote the advancement of scientific knowledge and innovation in this field.
Other winners of the Real Sociedad Española de Física-Fundación BBVA 2024 Physics Awards
In addition to the recognition of Miguel Anaya, the RSEF-Fundación BBVA 2024 Physics Awards have distinguished other outstanding personalities in the field of physics. The Medal of the Spanish Royal Society of Physics has been awarded to Licia Verde, scientific director of the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona, for her exceptional career in cosmology, with important contributions to the study of the evolution of the universe, dark matter and dark energy.
Likewise, the award in the category of Young Researcher in Theoretical Physics went to Martí Perarnau Llobet, of the University of Geneva, for his advances in quantum thermodynamics and their impact on quantum technologies. Other awards went to Román Orús Lacort in the category of Physics, Innovation and Technology, for his work in quantum computing and artificial intelligence, and to Patricio Gómez Lesarri and Isabel Abril Sánchez for their outstanding career in the teaching and dissemination of physics.
