Prof. Dr. Mikhail Katsnelson stands as a preeminent figure in theoretical physics, renowned for his profound contributions to condensed matter theory. Currently serving as Professor of Theoretical Physics at Radboud University Nijmegen since 2004, he has established himself as a leading authority in the field with a career spanning nearly five decades. Born in 1957 in Magnitogorsk, Russia, Katsnelson demonstrated exceptional talent early, publishing his first scientific paper at age seventeen and graduating summa cum laude from the Federal University of the Ural in Yekaterinburg at twenty. His academic trajectory accelerated rapidly as he earned his PhD and subsequently became the youngest Doctor of Science in physics in the former Soviet Union in 1986, a remarkable achievement that signaled his extraordinary potential. Prior to his appointment at Radboud, Katsnelson held professorial positions at the Federal University of the Ural and served as a visiting researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden.
Katsnelson's most transformative contribution emerged through his pioneering work on graphene, where he co-authored the seminal 2005 Nature paper Two dimensional gas of massless Dirac fermions in graphene, which experimentally confirmed the existence of massless Dirac fermions in this revolutionary material and ignited what became known as the graphene boom. His theoretical insights extended further with the 2006 Nature Physics paper introducing the concept of chiral tunneling and the Klein paradox in graphene, establishing fundamental principles that now underpin the entire field of graphene electronics. Beyond graphene, Katsnelson has made significant advances in the theory of exchange interactions in crystals and molecules, the electronic properties of magnetic metals and semiconductors, and the theoretical frameworks for interpreting scanning tunneling microscopy and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements. With over 154,000 citations according to Google Scholar, his research has fundamentally shaped our understanding of condensed matter systems and continues to influence both theoretical and experimental physics worldwide.
As head of the Theory of Condensed Matter group at Radboud University, Katsnelson leads what is widely recognized as an exceptionally strong research team that bridges theoretical predictions with experimental validation through extensive collaborations with experimental physicists. His interdisciplinary approach has earned him prestigious recognition including the 2010 Radboud Science Award, knighthood in the Order of the Dutch Lion in 2011, and an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in 2012. Katsnelson's research portfolio spans an impressively broad range of topics within condensed matter physics, including lattice dynamics, many body theory, magnetism, superconductivity, and electronic structure, reflecting his ability to integrate diverse areas of physics into a cohesive theoretical framework. Currently, his work continues to explore cutting edge problems in two dimensional magnetism and nonequilibrium nanomagnetism, ensuring his ongoing influence in shaping the future direction of condensed matter physics research globally.
