| Citation | Sandu Popescu has made substantial contributions to our understanding of quantum physics, by providing deep insights into its foundations, and by laying some of the cornerstones of the new field of quantum information. His work ranges from the very fundamental, almost philosophical, through formulating concepts and solving intricate problems in theoretical physics, to the design of experiments and patented applications. He asks completely new questions and identifies totally new issues. His most important achievements include: discovering that nonlocality is not an exotic phenomenon but a completely generic feature of quantum mechanics - every entangled state has nonlocal properties; inventing the concept of entanglement manipulation (concentration, dilution, distillation) to formulate the quantitative description of nonlocality and entanglement as a resource, which lies at the heart of quantum information; proposing the scheme for, and collaborating in, the first experimental realization of quantum teleportation; providing new insights into the foundations of statistical mechanics with quantum entanglement playing a key role; demonstrating the possibility of nonlocal ('Popescu-Rohrlich') correlations even stronger than those in quantum mechanics. His engaging and accessible lectures are models of clarity that inspire audiences at all levels. |