Dr. Frederick Duncan Haldane is a preeminent theoretical physicist whose groundbreaking work has fundamentally reshaped modern condensed matter physics. He currently holds the distinguished Sherman Fairchild University Professor of Physics position at Princeton University, a title he received in 2017 following his appointment as the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics in 1999. Born in London in 1951, Haldane received his BA in 1973 and PhD in 1978 from the University of Cambridge under Nobel Laureate Philip Anderson. His distinguished academic journey began at the Institut Laue-Langevin in France from 1977 to 1981, followed by faculty positions at the University of Southern California and the University of California, San Diego before joining Princeton University in 1990.
Haldane is celebrated for his theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016 with David J. Thouless and John Michael Kosterlitz. His seminal work in the 1980s revolutionized the understanding of one-dimensional quantum spin chains and magnetic systems, introducing concepts that transformed the field of condensed matter physics. He developed the influential theory of Luttinger liquids and made significant contributions to the fractional quantum Hall effect, exclusion statistics, and entanglement spectra. Haldane's innovative application of topological concepts from mathematics to explain exotic phases of matter has inspired numerous experimental discoveries and established entirely new research directions in physics.
His scholarly impact is evidenced by extensive recognition including the Dirac Medal, election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. As an influential educator at Princeton University, he has mentored generations of physicists who have made significant contributions to the field. Haldane continues to advance theoretical frameworks exploring the geometric description of fractional quantum Hall states and remains actively engaged in cutting-edge research. His theoretical insights continue to drive innovation in topological quantum computing and novel materials science, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential theoretical physicists of the modern era.
