OLED pioneer Mark Thompson named 2026 Citation Laureate

The bright colors glowing from smartphones and television screens rely in part on molecules developed by USC chemist and University Professor Mark Thompson. That work has now earned Thompson recognition as a 2026 Citation Laureate, a distinction previously awarded to dozens of researchers who later received Nobel Prizes.

Clarivate named Thompson, professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, among 22 researchers whose work it considers “of Nobel class.”

He shares the recognition with Chihaya Adachi of Kyushu University and Stephen R. Forrest of the University of Michigan. The three were selected “for pioneering research on phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), enabling ultrahigh-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes.”

Thompson says the recognition is a career highlight. “It’s a tremendous honor to be included in this group,” he said, while acknowledging the contributions of “many students, postdocs and collaborators over a long period of time. Their work is really what made it possible.”

Clarivate has named Citation Laureates annually since 2002, using publication and citation data from the Web of Science along with expert analysis to identify researchers whose discoveries have had exceptional influence. Nearly 20% of those selected have gone on to receive a Nobel Prize.

Citation Laureates are selected from researchers whose foundational papers rank among the world’s most highly cited. Of the more than 67 million journal articles and conference proceedings indexed by Clarivate since 1970, fewer than 0.02% have been cited more than 2,000 times.

“Mark’s work is a terrific example of fundamental science changing the way people live,” said USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock. “Over three decades at USC, his research has helped move OLED technology from the laboratory into devices used around the world. This recognition reflects the extraordinary and lasting impact of his scholarship.”

Thompson’s research focuses on designing materials that control how light and electricity interact. He helped develop phosphorescent materials that allow OLEDs to convert electrical energy into light much more efficiently. The technology made possible highly efficient red and green pixels now used in digital displays worldwide.

TADF provides another way to produce highly efficient OLEDs. The approach uses specially designed organic molecules to recover energy that would otherwise be lost and convert it into light.

One major challenge remains: creating a highly efficient, durable blue emitter that can match the performance of red and green.

“Understanding the science and engineering in these devices allowed us to make OLEDs more efficient and longer lasting, and to do it with materials that are easier to maintain,” Thompson said. “OLEDs are already in products people use every day, but there are still important problems to solve, particularly with blue emitters.”

Thompson joined USC in 1995 after eight years at Princeton University. He also works on organic solar cells, chemical and biological sensors and catalysis. He has authored about 400 papers in peer-reviewed journals and holds more than 250 patents, primarily involving materials used in optoelectronic devices and catalysis.

His previous honors include election to the National Academy of Engineering and as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as the American Chemical Society Award in Chemistry of Materials. USC appointed him a University Professor in 2023.