American Physical Society congratulates the winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics
The APS Medal winner received the prize for his contributions to IceCube, the world’s first gigaton neutrino detector, and the discovery of high-energy cosmic neutrinos.
Today, the American Physical Society celebrates Francis Halzen for receiving one of the highest honors in science — the Nobel Prize in Physics. The physics prize was awarded “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”
Halzen first proposed IceCube to the National Science Foundation in 1999 and went on to lead its realization in Antarctica through an international collaboration spanning 14 countries. IceCube launched the field of neutrino astronomy, opening a new window on distant galaxies.
Now, IceCube is the world’s largest neutrino detector. Because trillions of these near-massless, neutral particles pass through Earth every second with barely a trace, capturing them requires an enormous target. IceCube uses a cubic kilometer of deep South Pole ice to register these rare collisions, allowing scientists to trace high-energy neutrinos back to their extragalactic origins.
Halzen received the 2026 APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research, the Society’s largest prize. He was named an APS Fellow in 1994 and has been an APS member for more than 25 years. He now joins a distinguished community of physics Nobel laureates who have been APS members, including nearly two-thirds of all the prize winners since 2000.
Halzen’s prize-winning research was also published in APS journals, including two studies on the discovery of astrophysical neutrinos. Since 2000, our journals have published the core discovery papers behind more than 60% of the Nobel Prizes in Physics. All of the Nobel Prize-winning research published in APS journals is available to read for free.
APS congratulates Halzen on his incredible achievement and thanks him for his dedication to the advancement of physics.