Duncan Haldane

Born on 14 September 1951 in London, F. Duncan Haldane is a physics Nobel laureate known for his fundamental contributions to condensed-matter physics. Haldane earned his PhD from Cambridge University in 1978. Before joining Princeton University in 1990, where he serves as the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics, Haldane worked at the Institut Laue–Langevin in Grenoble, France; the University of Southern California; Bell Labs; and the University of California, San Diego. It was in the late 1970s and early 1980s that Haldane and two other physicists, Michael Kosterlitz and David Thouless, first began their research into topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter, for which they would be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016 (see the summary in Physics Today, December 2016, page 14 ). They used advanced mathematical methods to study unusual properties of matter in extreme states, including superconductors, superfluids, and thin magnetic films. Using topology as a tool, they showed that the macroscopic properties of exotic matter change in stepwise increments if the materials are thin enough or small enough. Their research continues to prompt new discoveries and may find a number of applications in electronics, materials science, and computing. (Photo credit: Princeton University, Office of Communications, Denise Applewhite)

Date in History: 14 September 1951