Charles L. Kane (Charles Lewis Kane; born January 12, 1963) is a

theoretical A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

condensed matter physicist Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases, that arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms and electrons. More gene ...

and is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Physics at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. He completed a B.S. in physics at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 1985 and his Ph.D. at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

in 1989. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania he was a postdoctoral associate at

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

's T. J. Watson Research Center working with his mentor

Matthew P. A. Fisher Matthew P. A. Fisher is an American Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and is known for several major contributions to condensed matter physics. He completed his bac ...

, among others. Kane is notable for theoretically predicting the

quantum spin Hall effect The quantum spin Hall state is a state of matter proposed to exist in special, two-dimensional semiconductors that have a quantized spin-Hall conductance and a vanishing charge-Hall conductance. The quantum spin Hall state of matter is the cousin o ...

(originally in graphene) and what would later be known as

topological insulator A topological insulator is a material whose interior behaves as an electrical insulator while its surface behaves as an electrical conductor, meaning that electrons can only move along the surface of the material. A topological insulator is an ...

s. He received the 2012

Dirac Prize Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac ( ; 8 August 1902 – 20 October 1984) was an English mathematician and Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist who is considered to be one of the founders of quantum mechanics. Dirac laid the foundations for bot ...

, along with

Shoucheng Zhang Shoucheng Zhang (; February 15, 1963 – December 1, 2018) was a Chinese-American physicist who was the JG Jackson and CJ Wood professor of physics at Stanford University. He was a condensed matter theorist known for his work on topological insu ...

and

Duncan Haldane Frederick Duncan Michael Haldane (born 14 September 1951) is a British physicist who is currently the Sherman Fairchild University Professor of Physics at Princeton University. He is a co-recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, along wit ...

, for their groundbreaking work on two- and three-dimensional

topological insulators A topological insulator is a material whose interior behaves as an electrical insulator while its surface behaves as an electrical conductor, meaning that electrons can only move along the surface of the material. A topological insulator is an ...

. In the same year he was also chosen for the inaugural class of Mathematics and the Physical Sciences

Simons Investigator The Simons Foundation is an American private foundation established in 1994 by Marilyn and James Harris Simons, Jim Simons with offices in New York City. As one of the largest charitable organizations in the United States with assets of over $5 ...

s. He also shared one of the 2013 Physics Frontiers prizes with Laurens W. Molenkamp and

for their work on topological insulators. In 2018, he shared the Frontiers of Knowledge Award with Eugene J. Mele. In 2019, was recognized with

Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics is one of the Breakthrough Prizes, awarded by the Breakthrough Prize Board. Initially named Fundamental Physics Prize, it was founded in July 2012 by Russia-born Israeli entrepreneur, venture capit ...

with fellow University of Pennsylvania professor Eugene Mele, again for work on topological insulators.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Charles L. 1963 births Living people 21st-century American physicists Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni University of Pennsylvania faculty University of Chicago alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society Simons Investigator Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize winners Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) laureates