Andreas Beling , a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been elected to the 2026 Class of Optica Fellows.
He is one of 121 members from 24 countries to be recognized for “significant contributions to the advancement of optics and photonics through research, business, education, engineering and service to Optica and our community,” according to an announcement from the organization.
Beling, who has taught at UVA since 2013 and is a senior member of Optica, was honored for “contributions to high-power, high-speed photodetectors for analog optical links, microwave photonics and photonic integrated circuits.”
High-speed photodetectors convert optical signals into electrical signals at very high data rates, enabling faster data transmission and higher-speed communication systems.
It’s something Beling continues to work on. His team is also developing integrated optical detectors for quantum applications such as quantum computing, quantum encryption and quantum sensing, which uses light particles to achieve ultra-precise measurements for navigation and medical imaging.
The team is focused on devices that can operate at the single-photon level, meaning they can detect and process an individual light particle. The goal is to integrate those detectors directly onto computer chips for faster and more powerful quantum communication and computing technologies in the future.
The potential impact is promising: Installing these highly sensitive light detectors directly onto microchips would make quantum systems more stable, less expensive to produce and commercially scalable.
For Beling, being honored for his work by Optica is “especially meaningful” — and for more than one reason.
“Optica has been an important professional community throughout my career,” he said. “I see it as recognition of the work my group and I have done over many years. It also motivates me to keep pushing on new ideas and supporting younger researchers in the field.”
Scott Acton, chair of UVA’s Charles L. Brown Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, emphasized the lasting impact of Beling’s contributions.
“Andreas’ work demonstrates how advances in engineering can create new possibilities for society,” Acton said. “His innovations in photonic devices are improving communications today while helping unlock the promise of tomorrow’s quantum technologies.
“This recognition by Optica is a testament to both the excellence and the long-term impact of his research.”
Beling has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Technical University Berlin. He is the author or co-author of more than 230 technical papers, three book-chapters and four patents.
He was an associate editor of the Journal of Lightwave Technology and the primary guest editor of the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics Special Issue on Optical Detectors. He is a senior member of IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.