Valerii M. Vinokur

Valerii M. Vinokur, a distinguished theoretical physicist renowned for his profound contributions to condensed matter physics, passed away on 14 December 2025, after a short but intense illness. He was 76 years old.

Born on 26 April 1949 in Moscow, Vinokur earned his BSc in the physics of metals from the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys in 1972. He completed his PhD in physics in 1979 at the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) in Chernogolovka of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where he continued to work as a research scientist until 1987. His education and early career were shaped by the rigorous tradition of Soviet theoretical physics, which left a lasting imprint on his scientific style and depth.

Following his tenure at ISSP, Vinokur held a series of prominent research and visiting positions across Europe: at CNRS in Grenoble, France (1987), Leiden University in the Netherlands (1989), and ETH Zürich in Switzerland (1990). During this formative period, he developed many of the ideas that would later become central to the modern understanding of disordered superconductors, vortex matter, and nonequilibrium phenomena.

In 1990, Vinokur joined Argonne National Laboratory in the US, where he became an Argonne Distinguished Fellow in 2009 and remained a leading intellectual force for more than three decades. His research addressed a wide range of fundamental problems, including vortex dynamics in type-II superconductors, glassy phases of matter, quantum phase transitions, nonequilibrium transport, and topological effects in quantum systems. Among his most influential (and controversial) work was the codiscovery and theoretical formulation of the superinsulator state—a quantum phase dual to superconductivity—which opened a new frontier in low-temperature and quantum condensed matter physics. More broadly, his work opened routes toward the design of novel materials with properties previously thought impossible, with potential applications in quantum sensing, quantum computing, and other areas of quantum information science.

Alongside these scientific advances, Valerii was deeply committed to mentorship. He invested exceptional time and care in younger scientists, challenging them intellectually while offering steady guidance and encouragement. Many who worked with him credit his influence not only for shaping their research directions but also for teaching them how to think about physics with clarity, rigor, and intellectual courage.

Vinokur authored hundreds of highly cited publications and was widely recognized as one of the leading theorists in condensed matter physics. Particularly noteworthy is his 1994 review article, “Vortices in high-temperature superconductors ,” which has garnered more than 7500 citations as of 2026 and remains a foundational reference in the field. His scientific achievements were recognized with numerous prestigious international awards, including the John Bardeen Prize (2003), the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award (2013), the Abrikosov Prize (2017), and the Fritz London Memorial Prize (2020). He was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society in 1998 and a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 2013. Despite these honors, Valerii remained remarkably humble. He carried his achievements lightly, engaging colleagues and students as equals and approaching discussions with genuine curiosity rather than authority.

Beyond academia, Vinokur played an active role in connecting fundamental physics with emerging quantum technologies. In his last years at Argonne, his research focus turned to quantum information sciences, and then he left Argonne in 2021 to serve as Chief Technology Officer for the United States at Terra Quantum AG, where he spent the remainder of his career and helped shape the company’s scientific vision and strategic direction, exemplifying his belief that deep theoretical insight and technological innovation should advance hand in hand. Those who worked closely with Valerii remember his presence as both inspiring and reassuring. He was known for his generosity with ideas, his openness to debate, and his ability to elevate conversations through insight rather than insistence.

Valerii Vinokur’s passing marks a profound loss for the condensed matter physics community. His legacy endures in the many scientists he trained and influenced, and in the lasting impact of his ideas on the physics of quantum and disordered systems. He will be remembered with admiration and gratitude by colleagues, collaborators, and students around the world.

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