PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Serge Massar

Serge Massar is a physicist whose work links photonic reservoir computing with AI speech recognition and neuromorphic computing. Born in Zambia, he studied physics at Université libre de Bruxelles, completed a doctorate in 1995, and returned as an FRS-FNRS research associate in 1998. He has directed ULB's Laboratoire d’Information Quantique since 2004, with research on quantum nonlocality and cryptography. He shared the 2023 Gödel Prize for exponential lower bounds on extended formulations for the traveling-salesman and matching polytopes. As of October 2026, he is a full professor at ULB; in December 2025, he presented work on extending equilibrium propagation to quantum, thermal, and time-dependent systems.

Timeline

  1. 1970–1991

    From Zambia to ULB

    He is born in Zambia in 1970, spends most of his youth in Africa, and graduates in physics from ULB in 1991.

  2. 1995–1998

    Postdoctoral work and return

    He earns a PhD at ULB in 1995, completes postdoctoral work in Tel Aviv and Utrecht, and rejoins ULB as an FRS-FNRS Research Associate in 1998.

  3. Since 2004

    Leading the quantum lab

    He directs ULB's Laboratoire d’Information Quantique from 2004. His research includes quantum nonlocality and cryptography.

  4. 2015

    A photonic reservoir computer

    In 2015, his team presents a reservoir computer based on a coherently driven passive fiber cavity for analog signal processing.

  5. 2021

    Elected to the Royal Academy

    He becomes a full member of the Belgian Royal Academy's Sciences class in 2021.

  6. 2023

    A Gödel Prize

    He shares the 2023 Gödel Prize with five researchers for results that establish exponential lower bounds on extended formulations for the traveling-salesman and matching polytopes.

  7. 2023

    Photonic reservoirs for speech

    His research uses artificial intelligence and machine learning through reservoir computing. In 2023, he evaluates a deep photonic reservoir computer on speech-recognition tasks.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor at ULB

    He is a full professor at ULB and works on photonic neuromorphic computing. In December 2025, he presents a seminar on extending equilibrium propagation to quantum, thermal, and time-dependent systems.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Serge Massar yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. LIQ - Serge Massar liq.ulb.ac.be. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Serge MASSAR - Opera Photonics opera-photonics.polytech.ulb.be. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Détail academieroyale.be. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. High performance photonic reservoir computer based on a coherently driven passive cavity arxiv.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. ACM SIGACT - News sigact.sigact.hosting.acm.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. Deep Photonic Reservoir Computer for Speech Recognition arxiv.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. Machine Learning through Equilibrium Propagation: Extending the framework to quantum, thermal, and time dependent systems. - Quantum Foundations Seminar pirsa.org. Checked 15 October 2026.