The Royal Society of London, the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, has announced Scientia Professor Michelle Simmons has been elected to receive a Fellowship of the Royal Society.
The fellowship, which is the highest scientific honour bestowed by the academy, is a lifetime membership. Fellowships are awarded to individuals who have made a “substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science”.
Professor Simmons, the 2018 Australian of the Year, has been recognised for her contribution to the field of quantum computing and is renowned as a pioneer in atomic electronics. Her vision and leadership have engendered a radical new technology for fabricating electronic devices with atomic-precision accuracy.
By manipulating matter at the atomic scale, she led the team that created the world’s smallest precision transistor, the narrowest conducting wires in silicon and the first transistor where a single atom controls its operation.
Her groundbreaking achievements have opened a new frontier of research in computing and electronics globally, providing a platform for redesigning conventional transistors and for developing a quantum computer, a new form of computing with the potential to transform information processing.
“I am delighted and honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society,” said Professor Simmons, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology at UNSW. “This award is further recognition of the work that we are doing right here in Sydney. I have been very fortunate over the years to have so many truly outstanding students and postdocs in my group at UNSW.”
Founded in the 17th century, the Society lists some of the most renowned scientists in history including Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. Professor Simmons becomes the fourth UNSW academic to be elected to the Royal Society, joining Professors Trevor McDougall (2012), Martin Green (2013) and Richard Harvey (2016).
Professor Simmons will be formally admitted to the Society at an official ceremony in London in July.
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