Award recognizes groundbreaking research advancing deterministic single-photon technologies for the future of quantum photonics
MELVILLE, N.Y., July 15, 2026 — AIP Publishing is pleased to announce that Kristina Malinowski, a Ph.D. candidate at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), has received the 2026 APL Quantum–META Best Paper Award for her research paper, “Deterministic Photon Addition in a Waveguide Mode.”
Presented annually by APL Quantum in partnership with the International Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics (META), the award recognizes an outstanding paper that advances the fields of quantum science, metamaterials, nanophotonics, and related technologies. The award highlights innovative research with the potential to shape the future of quantum-enabled devices and applications.
Malinowski’s award-winning paper addresses a key challenge in quantum photonics: enabling deterministic single-photon sources that generate photons on demand. While probabilistic sources have driven much of the field’s progress, deterministic approaches promise significantly higher performance. Her research establishes a theoretical and integrated photonic framework for waveguide-platform photon addition, laying the groundwork for scalable quantum computing, secure communications, and advanced sensing.
“Kristina Malinowski’s paper exemplifies the type of innovative, high-impact research this award was created to recognize,” said Dr. Ortwin Hess, Editor-in-Chief of APL Quantum. “This work advances both the fundamental understanding of quantum photonics and the development of technologies that could enable future quantum information systems. We are delighted to recognize this outstanding contribution with the 2026 APL Quantum–META Best Paper Award.”
The research is being shared as part of the META 2026 Conference on Metamaterials, Photonic Crystals and Plasmonics, where the award will be presented. The conference brings together researchers working across metamaterials, photonic crystals, plasmonics, quantum technologies, and related fields.
“I am honored to receive the APL Quantum–META Best Paper Award,” said Malinowski. “This recognition is incredibly meaningful to me and to the outstanding team of collaborators at Caltech, Syracuse University, and Boeing who made this work possible. I hope our research inspires continued exploration of deterministic single-photon sources, which have the potential to unlock new capabilities for scalable quantum photonic technologies. I’m deeply grateful to the selection committee and to the mentors, colleagues, and role models who have supported me throughout this journey.”
Malinowski earned her bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology before joining Caltech, where she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Materials Science in Professor Harry Atwater’s laboratory. Her research focuses on integrating color centers in hexagonal boron nitride as deterministic single-photon sources for next-generation quantum photonic devices.
About APL Quantum
APL Quantum publishes cutting-edge research spanning quantum science and technology, including quantum materials, photonics, computing, communications, sensing, and information science. The journal provides an interdisciplinary forum for advances that bridge fundamental discoveries and emerging applications.
About AIP Publishing
AIP Publishing’s mission is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity by breaking barriers to open, fair research communication and empowering researchers to accelerate global progress. AIP Publishing is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and supports the charitable, scientific, and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities on its behalf and on behalf of our publishing partners.