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Henry Kapteyn and Margaret Murnane won the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Physics. Image credit: Glenn Asakawa/CU �Ǹ�Թ�

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A husband-and-wife team at the forefront of laser science at the �Ǹ�Թ� has followed in the footsteps of the Curies, winning a prestigious Benjamin Franklin Medal.

announced today that Henry Kapteyn and Margaret Murnane would receive this year’s medal in physics— by the center named after the scientist and founding father.

Kapteyn and Murnane are fellows at��JILA, a joint research institute between CU �Ǹ�Թ� and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). They have pioneered new advancements in X-ray lasers, devices that shoot out incredibly fast pulses of X-ray radiation.

The researchers, also professors in the Department of Physics, are only the third married couple to receive a Benjamin Franklin Medal. The first were who took home the prize for chemistry in 1909.

“We are quite excited and humbled to be so recognized by the Franklin Institute,” Kapteyn said. “Margaret and I have been exploring science together for many years now, so it is especially delightful to be following the path of the Curies—a personal inspiration for us—in being recognized by such a longstanding, prestigious organization.”

“Margaret Murnane and Henry Kapteyn are highly-acclaimed, international leaders in laser science,” said John Cumalat, chair of physics at CU �Ǹ�Թ�. “The Department of Physics takes great pride in their recognition as 2020 Franklin Institute Award Winners.��They are remarkable scientists, professors and mentors of our students.”