Aavishkar Patel

Recognized for:
New theoretical understanding of “strange metals” and their tendencies towards superconductivity, based on how microscopic irregularities in materials modify electron interactions.

Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Condensed Matter Theory, Strongly Correlated Systems, Computational Physics, Quantum Field Theory

Previous Positions:

Miller Research Fellow, University of California Berkeley
Ph.D., Harvard University (Advisor: Subir Sachdev)
Graduate Fellow, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics
M.Sc., Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India (Advisor: Amit Dutta)

Research Summary:

The continued technological advancement of modern electronics depends on a refined understanding of how electrons within materials interact. “Strange metals” are materials with unusual electrical properties that tend towards superconductivity at higher-than-usual temperatures. By applying ideas originally used to study models of quantum gravity to condensed matter systems, Aavishkar Patel, Ph.D. was able to show that the key physics of strange metals arises from the effects of microscopic irregularities on electron interactions. This theoretical insight will help pave the way for future design of superconducting materials. 

“Microscopic imperfections in materials can fundamentally transform the ways in which electrons interact. I combine theoretical insight with the power of computational methods to understand how.”

Key Publications:

1. A. A. Patel, H. Guo, I. Esterlis, S. Sachdev. Universal Theory of Strange Metals from Spatially Random Interactions. Science 381 (6659) 790-793, 2023.
2. A. A. Patel, P. Lunts, S. Sachdev. Localization of Overdamped Bosonic Modes and Transport in Strange Metals. PNAS 121 (14) e2402052121, 2024.
3. E. E. Aldape, T. Cookmeyer, A. A. Patel, E. Altman. Solvable Theory of a Strange Metal at the Breakdown of a Heavy Fermi Liquid. Phys. Rev. B 105 (23) 235111, 2022.
4. I. Esterlis, H. Guo, A. A. Patel, S. Sachdev. Large N Theory of Critical Fermi Surfaces. Phys. Rev. B 103 (23) 235129, 2021.

Other Honors:

2023 Frontiers of Science Award, International Congress for Basic Science
2022 The Hermann Kümmel Early Achievement Award in Many-Body Physics, International Conference Series on Recent Progress in Many-Body Theories

In the Media:

Physics – The Mystery of “Strange” Metals Explained

Physics World – Strange Metals Reveal Their Secrets

Simons Foundation – We Finally Know Why Quantum ‘Strange Metals’ Are So Strange

Physics – When the Disorder is Just right

Websites:

Simons Foundation: Profile
Linkedin