When Nicolas Couture first arrived in Ottawa as an undergraduate student, he knew one thing for certain: he liked physics. What he didn’t know was how that interest could translate into a career. That uncertainty didn’t last long. Through uOttawa’s co-op program, Nicolas discovered the thrill of research, and more importantly, he discovered lasers.
“What I really liked about working with lasers was building setups. It’s almost like Lego,” he recalls. “Piece by piece, you can create something new and functional. I found it fascinating. There’s so much you can do with light.”
That fascination quickly became a lifelong pursuit.
A path shaped by curiosity
Encouraged by his supervisor, Professor Jean-Michel Ménard, Nicolas decided to pursue graduate studies in physics. After excelling in his first year of a master’s program, he fast-tracked into a PhD. His doctoral research focused on terahertz spectroscopy, a technique that uses low-energy light to probe materials without damaging them.
Nicolas developed fibre-based tools to make this technology faster, more cost-effective and more accessible. His innovations allowed laboratories to build advanced spectroscopy systems at a fraction of the usual cost. It also meant industries could envision new ways to perform non-destructive quality control on products and materials. “It was about making terahertz spectroscopy not just powerful, but practical,” Nicolas explains.
For this groundbreaking work, Nicolas received an Ontario Graduate Scholarship — a competitive provincial award — and the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal in Science and Engineering, one of the highest distinctions for a Canadian graduate student.
Collaboration and growth
For Nicolas, research has always been a journey of discovery. His time in Professor Ménard’s lab offered him both independence and mentorship, while collaborations with international institutions, such as the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Germany, broadened his horizons. “Those experiences showed me how different groups approach science,” he says. “It helped me grow not only as a researcher but also as a collaborator.”
After completing his PhD, he pursued a postdoctoral fellowship in the Quantum Technology Group at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). There, he explored quantum optics, including ultrafast all-optical switching of single photons. This work further deepened his expertise in optics and prepared him for the next step in his career.
Bringing research to the real world
While Nicolas loved academic research, he also wanted his work to have a more immediate impact. That desire led him to Ciena, a global leader in networking systems, where he now works as a research scientist. His team is developing the next generation of coherent modems, a key technology for faster, more reliable internet connectivity.
Looking back, he believes curiosity and the willingness to chase what interested him guided his journey, even when the path wasn’t obvious.
“My advice to students is simple: follow what motivates you,” he says. “When I started, terahertz research was a small, niche field. I didn’t know where it would lead, but I trusted my interest, and it led me to the job of my dreams.”
From building laser setups as a student to advancing global communications today, Nicolas Couture’s story is proof of where curiosity, persistence and passion for science can lead.
Read more