Matteo Clerici

Biography

I received the Master degree (07/2006, 100/100 cum laude) and PhD (02/2010) in Physics from the Insubria University (Como, Italy). There, I worked in the group led by Prof. Di Trapani on nonlinear optics research themes in collaboration with Profs. Degiorgio's (University of Pavia, Italy) and Lugiato's (Insubria) groups. 

I have been a Postdoctoral Fellow at CNISM (2009-2010, Italy), working on extreme phase-matching via conical waves in high-order harmonic generation, in collaboration with Profs. Biegert's (ICFO, Spain) and Di Trapani's groups.  I have been a PEEE FQRNT Research Fellow (2011-2012) and a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellow (2012-2014) in the group led by Prof. Morandotti at INRS-EMT in Canada. There, I conducted research on plasma physics, Terahertz broadband generation and detection, bulk second- and third-order nonlinear effects, and quantum optics. In 2014, I returned to Europe, to Heriot-Watt University, for the last year of the Marie Curie fellowship. There, I worked in the group led by Prof. Faccio, continuing my research on nonlinear optics, imaging, and ultrafast phenomena. 

I was hired in October 2015 as an Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering of the University of Glasgow (UK), where I established an independent research group, UNO (Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics), dedicated to the study of time-resolved nonlinear and quantum-optical effects. I became an Associate Professor in August 2019 and a Full Professor  (Professor of Photonics) in August 2022. From October 1st, 2023, I am a Professor of Physics at the University of Insubria, Como (Italy), and co-director of the Quantum and Ultrafast Photonics (QUP) Lab. I am currently the director of the Como Lake Institute of Photonics.  Up to now, I have supervised 5 PhD students and tens of Master studends thesis. 

My research mainly focuses on quantum optics in the visible and infrared spectral region, THz photonics, and epsilon-near-zero physics. 

Achievements 

I am the author of >80 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including 3 Nature Communications, 5 Science Advances, 2 Laser & Photonics Reviews, 9 Physical Review Letters, and 3 Optica. I am an inventor of 3 granted patents, author of >65 invited talks at international conferences, including 3 keynotes, and author of >150 conference contributions, including 3 post-deadline papers. 

I was elected an OPTICA fellow in 2025 for "pioneering experiments in the field of ultrafast and quantum optics in the infrared part of the spectrum," and I received the 2014 Sergio Panizza Award from the Italian Physical Society for my contributions to THz science. 

I have served as the General Chair (2022) and Program Chair (2021) for IPR - Optica, and as a member of the program committees for international photonics conferences (Photonics North, IPR, and CLEO-OSA). I was a co-organiser of the Enrico Fermi Summer School “Frontiers in Modern Optics” of the Italian Physical Society (Varenna, Italy, 2014). I am the organiser and co-director of the "New Frontiers in Ultrafast Quantum  Optics" summer school,  27-31 July 2026, Villa del Grumello, Como (Italy), within the Lake Como School of Advanced Studies. 

I have been a member of the editorial board of Scientific Reports until 2024, and I am currently topical editor for Optics Letters. I am reviewer, among others, for Science, the Nature Publishing Group (Nature Communications, Nature Photonics and Scientific Reports), the American Physical Society (Physical Review X, Letters, A, E),  the American Chemical Society (ACS Photonics), the Optical Society (Optica, Optics Letters, Optics Express and others),  the Institute of Physics and Wiley. I am also a reviewer, among others, for the European Research Council (ERC); H2020; the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR);  the U.S. Army Research Office; the MITACS Canada; the Ontario Research Fund. I am a Full College Member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). 

Awards/Esteem

• 2025 Elected Fellow of OPTICA, for: "Pioneering experiments in the field of ultrafast and quantum optics in the infrared part of the spectrum".

• 2023    Habilitation to Full Professor, Ministero dell’Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca, Italy (02/B1)

• 2020 Elected Senior Member of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI)

• 2020 National Foreign Expert Projects Scholarship, the Ministry of Science and Technology, China

• 2019   Top 20% EPSRC – U.K. Reviewers 

• 2017  Interviewed for “100 Young Italian Scientists per Cartaditalia” (Italian Cultural Institute, Brussels, 2017)

• 12/04/2017-12/04/2023: Habilitation to Associate Professor in Physics in Italy. (Bando D.D. 1532/2016, settore concorsuale 02/b1 fisica sperimentale dellamateria, MIUR)

• 2014 Sergio Panizza Prize (Italian Physical Society, for contribution to photonics, especially THz photonics)

• Habilitation at “Maître de conferences” (Lecturer equivalent). Qualification n. 13230248856. Section: 30-Optics. Ministre de l’éducation nationale, de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, France

• 04/2013 Poster Award at the International Workshop on Optical Terahertz Science and Technology (OTST), April 1-5, 2013, Kyoto, Japan

• 2012-2015 Marie-Curie International Outgoing Fellowship

• 2011-2012 MELS Postdoctoral fellowship (V2) (1st rank), FQRNT

• 2007 Marie Curie ITN, ATLAS (International Training Network) scholarship

Teaching

At the University of Insubria

• 2023-now: Laser Physics, Master in Physics, Insubria University, Italy

• 2024-now: Physics, Undergraduate course in Biotechnology, Insubria University, Italy

• 2025-now: Radiation protection for (Techniques of Prevention in the Environment and in the Workplace), Insubria University, Italy

• 2024-now: Applied Physics for TPALL (Techniques of Prevention in the Environment and in the Workplace), Insubria University, Italy

• 2023-2024: Medical Physics for Professional Education (Qualifying Degree for the Healthcare Profession of Professional Educator)

At the University of Glasgow

• 2021-2023: Lecturer for "Engineering Mathematics 2" (ENG2086), 2nd year, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow.

• 2015-2023: Lecturer and Convenor for "Engineering Electromagnetics 2" (ENG2031), 2nd year, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow

• 2017-2023: Coordinator  for "Design Special Topic 5" (ENG5026), 5th year, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow

• 2016-2018: Lecturer for "Microwaves and Optical Transmission Systems" (ENG4100), 4th year, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow

Previous other appointments

• 2014 Lab demonstrator, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Herriot-Watt University, UK

• 2012 Ultrafast photonics & high-intensity light-matter interaction. Course for Masters and PhD students, INRS-EMT, Canada

• 2007 – 2009 Assistant for the “Laboratory course II” at the School of Physics, Università degli Studi dell' Insubira, Italy

• 2007 Assistant for the “Laboratory course IV” at the School of Physics, Università degli Studi dell' Insubira, Italy 

Other academic info

Useful Links

• Google Scholar Profile

• ORCID: 0000-0002-9100-8539