Ebrahim Karimi is a Kurdish physicist who won the Herzberg Prize in Physics in 2020 for his research in quantum physics and became a member of the Royal Council of Canada at Youth Science Canada College.
Professor Karimi was born in 1978 in Saqqez, East part of Kurdistan. He completed his primary, secondary, and high school in the same city. From an early age, with the help of his teachers, he had an interest in mathematics and physics. By participating in several scientific conferences and presenting several theoretical and practical plans at these conferences, he was able to reach famous scientific festivals in Iran such as the Kharazmi Festival.
In 1997, he was admitted to the Department of Physics at Kerman University. After completing two semesters, he began studying physics and mathematics together and studied five courses in both departments. In 2001, he graduated as a selected and exemplary student of Kerman University in the Department of Atomic Physics and received a bachelor's degree. In the same year, he obtained 18th place in Iran's master's examinations and was admitted to the Department of Mathematics and Physics of Zanjan University. After two years, he obtained his master's degree in optics.
He taught at the Kurdistan University of Sna for three years instead of the military service. During this time, he was selected as an exemplary professor, best science professor, and best university researcher for four semesters.
He completed his doctoral studies in Italy and during his doctoral studies recorded two international inventions and was appointed as an exemplary student at the University of Naples, Italy, in the branch of quantum optics. He then continued his research for a postdoctoral fellowship in the Forbitk project, a joint project of six European countries, and his successes in this project made him a world-famous professor.
At the request of Professor Robert Boyd, head and founder of the Center for Advanced Photonic Research at the University of Ottawa, he went to Canada and after two years as a professor of physics at the University of Ottawa, formed a research group, and he also won a Canadian Research Chair for five years. It is awarded annually by the Government of Canada to outstanding researchers in scientific fields.
Professor Karimi has also won two Canadian Innovation Center and John Evans awards and became a member of the Youth Royal Council Canada College.
He has also worked as an associate professor at the Max Planck Research Center in Germany and Zanjan University.
Professor Karimi has conducted fundamental research in the fields of quantum transmission, microscopy, quantum imaging, and beam topology. He has hundreds of articles, books, and research projects worldwide. He is currently the President of the Quantum Institute at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Professor Karimi said at the inauguration ceremony:
"It is a great honor to be entrusted with the presidency of the University of Ottawa Quantum Institute. Thank you very much to my colleagues and friends for their trust; I am confident that together we will help the Canadian ecosystem and address their needs and challenges in quantum science and engineering."
