Luigi Alberto Lugiato received his degree in physics from the University of Milan in 1968. Since 1998, he has been a full professor of physics at the University of Insubria, Como.

From 1968 to 1972, he held a research fellowship at Milan Ministry of Public Education at the University of Milan. He then served as a researcher at Sezione di Milano. From 1974 to 1980, he was Assistant Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Milan, followed by an associate professorship in physics at the same university until 1986. He took a brief leave from the University of Milan to serve as Full Professor of Atomic Physics at Turin Polytechnic until 1990, when he became full professor of Quantum Electronics at the University of Milan

He has served in a number of capacities for organizations for optics and photonics research including a number of advisory and editorial boards. He is the recipient of the 1970 Prize for young researchers from the Italian Physical Society, the 1987 Albert A. Michelson Medal of the Franklin Institute, 1991 SIF Optronic Prize from the Italian Physical Society, 2002 Willis E. Lamb Medal for Laser Science and Quantum Optics from the Physics of Quantum Electronics, Inc., 2003 European Quantum Electronics Prize from the Physical Society, the 18^th International Khwarizmi Prize, the Max Born Award in 2007, and the 2008 Fermi Prize of the Italian Physical Society. He is a Fellow of the Franklin Institute, American Physical Society, European Physical Society, and the Society.