Canada PM Justin Trudeau congratulates Donna Strickland for winning Nobel in Physics

Creating history, Strickland, a Canadian, has become only the third woman to win the award and first in 55 years.

As per the Nobel Prize website, the Nobel Prize in Physics 2018 was awarded “for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics” with one half to Arthur Ashkin “for the optical tweezers and their application to biological systems”, the other half jointly to Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland “for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses”. 

Donna Strickland (Image: The Nobel Prize website)

Issuing a statement, Trudeau said: "In the words of Dr. Strickland, ‘we need to celebrate women physicists’ – and help motivate more women to pursue careers in science and technology. When women are empowered and have the tools they need to thrive in STEM fields, everyone benefits.

"While winning a Nobel Prize is a tremendous feat in its own right, it is even more special as we mark Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the many women who, like Dr. Strickland, have paved the way for future generations of women and girls.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate Dr. Strickland for this remarkable achievement, and thank her for inspiring other women and young girls to dream without limits and pursue the careers of their choice.”

Strickland is a professor at the University of Waterloo.