Vladimir Bulović

Vladimir Bulović. He is an American engineer and materials scientist renowned for his pioneering contributions to the fields of nanotechnology, optoelectronics, and thin-film electronics. As the Fariborz Maseeh Professor of Emerging Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he has led groundbreaking research in quantum dot light-emitting diodes, organic semiconductors, and perovskite solar cells. Bulović also co-founded the MIT.nano facility and has been instrumental in translating laboratory innovations into commercial ventures, including the display technology company QD Vision.

Early life and education

Vladimir Bulović was born in Belgrade, then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He moved to the United States for his university studies, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University in 1991. He continued his graduate education at Princeton University, where he worked under the supervision of Professor Stephen R. Forrest. At Princeton's Department of Electrical Engineering, Bulović conducted seminal research on ultra-thin organic light-emitting devices, earning his Master of Science in 1993 and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1995.

Career and research

Following his doctorate, Bulović joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996, where he is now the Fariborz Maseeh Professor within the MIT School of Engineering. He holds appointments in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research laboratory focuses on the invention and physical study of nanostructured materials and devices. A central theme of his work is the development of novel optoelectronic devices, including highly efficient quantum dot LEDs, which became the foundation for QLED television technology commercialized by Samsung and others. He also made pioneering advances in the field of perovskite photovoltaics, demonstrating some of the earliest efficient thin-film solar cells using these materials. Beyond fundamental research, Bulović played a key leadership role in the conception and creation of MIT.nano, a major interdisciplinary research facility for nanoscience and nanotechnology at MIT. His entrepreneurial activities include co-founding several technology companies, such as QD Vision, Kateeva, and Ubiquitous Energy, which aim to commercialize innovations in displays, manufacturing, and transparent solar cells.

Awards and honors

Bulović's contributions have been recognized by numerous prestigious awards and memberships. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2017 for his work on nanostructured electronic devices. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a Fellow of the Optical Society. He has received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Award, and the Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer Award. In 2021, he was named a MacArthur Fellow, commonly known as the "Genius Grant," for his innovative work in next-generation optoelectronic technologies.

Personal life

Vladimir Bulović is married and has children. He maintains a strong connection to his roots in the Balkans and is an advocate for international scientific collaboration. Outside of his academic and research pursuits, he is known to be an avid supporter of the arts and often emphasizes the creative parallels between scientific innovation and artistic expression in his public talks.

Selected publications

Bulović has authored or co-authored hundreds of peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals. Selected key publications include foundational papers in *Nature* on quantum dot light-emitting diodes, seminal work on ultra-thin organic films in *Science*, and influential studies on perovskite solar cell stability and efficiency in *Advanced Materials* and *Joule*. His research has also been frequently featured in proceedings of conferences like the International Electron Devices Meeting and the Materials Research Society Spring Meeting.

Category:American electrical engineers Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:1967 births Category:Living people