Aharon Kapitulnik

Aharon Kapitulnik is the Theodore and Sydney Rosenberg Professor of Applied Physics and Physics at Stanford University, where he is also a member of the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science. His contributions include theoretical condensed matter physics and experimental studies of corrections to Newtonian gravity. Kapitulnik uses a deep understanding of theory to design and carry out decisive experiments that provide new understanding of strongly correlated electron systems, quantum phase transitions, superconductivity and magnetism and gravity at sub-mm length scales. Additionally, he makes use of transport, thermodynamic, optical, magnetic and scanning probe measurements. His accomplishments include the sensitive design of a calorimeter that provides measurements of specific heat in the cuprates, the construction of STMs [Scanning tunneling microscopes] used for topographic and spectroscopic measurements in cuprates and topological insulators, the design of a Sagnac interferometer of a sensitivity reaching ten nanoradians in order to carry out Kerr effect measurements on correlated oxides (cuprates, ruthenates, etc.) and the development of a microbridge (microcantilever) to test for possible deviations in the theory of universal gravitation on a micron scale, in condensed matter. He is the recipient of the Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Prize, TRW Faculty Assistantship Award, IBM Faculty Development Award, and Presidential Young Investigator Award.