2026 Nobel Prize in Physics

Awards / Honors In the Spotlight, Campus Life
The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Francis Halzen, a Belgian physicist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, “for his decisive contributions to the IceCube neutrino observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”

IceCube uses a volume of approximately one cubic kilometer of instrumented Antarctic ice to detect rare interactions of cosmic neutrinos. These particles, which interact very weakly, allow us to observe the universe through a channel that complements those of light and gravitational waves.
As early as the 1980s and 1990s, Francis Halzen proposed using the ice at the South Pole as a massive detector—an idea that led to the creation of IceCube. His award thus recognizes his pioneering work in opening up a truly new field: neutrino astronomy. Francis Halzen also maintains a connection with the École de Physique des Houches. He participated there in 2007 as part of the Winter School dedicated to “The Violent Universe.” He thus joins the long list of Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates who have taught or participated in the École de Physique des Houches.

This award once again highlights the School’s long-standing role as a premier forum for interaction between leading researchers and young scientists.
The School of Physics in Les Houches naturally extends its warmest congratulations to him.
       
Published on October 8, 2026
Updated on October 8, 2026