Girish Agarwal is an influential physicist who specialises in quantum optics, which is the study of how photons — particles of light — interact with matter at a scale too small to be seen by a standard microscope. Quantum optics is important for a number of different fields, including the advancement of electronics and precision measurements.

Girish is distinguished for his pioneering work on theoretical quantum optics. A key part of his work involved studying the non-classical properties of light, and how this light interacts with atoms. He has published hundreds of papers and authored two books on quantum optics, published in 1974 and 2012.

He currently holds the Noble Foundation Chair and serves as Regents Professor in the Department of Physics at Oklahoma State University. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America (OSA), the Indian National Science Academy and Academy of Sciences, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He is the winner of the Max Born Award of the OSA and the TWAS Award in Physics.