Dr. Robert J. Cava is a distinguished scientist and leader in the field of materials chemistry at Princeton University where he holds the Russell Wellman Moore Professorship in the Department of Chemistry. After earning his PhD in Ceramics from MIT in 1978, he conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology before spending 17 years at Bell Laboratories where he advanced to Distinguished Member of Technical Staff. He joined Princeton University in 1996, subsequently serving as Chair of the Chemistry Department from 2004 to 2010 and holding leadership roles including Associate Director of the Princeton Materials Institute from 1999 to 2001. His career trajectory from industrial research at Bell Labs to academic leadership at Princeton has positioned him at the forefront of materials discovery for over four decades.
Professor Cava's pioneering research focuses on the synthesis, crystal structure determination, and property characterization of novel inorganic solids with emphasis on understanding the relationships between chemical composition, bonding, and electronic behavior. His laboratory has discovered and characterized numerous groundbreaking materials including high-temperature superconductors, topological insulators, and magnetic systems that have advanced fundamental understanding across condensed matter physics and materials science. With an impressive publication record exceeding 880 articles and more than 58,000 citations reflected in an H-index of 111, his work has established foundational knowledge in areas such as geometrically frustrated magnets, Dirac and Weyl semimetals, and correlated electron systems. The impact of his research extends beyond academia, influencing technological development in electronics, energy conversion, and quantum computing applications.
Recognized with numerous prestigious honors including election to the US National Academy of Sciences, Foreign Fellowship in the Royal Society, and the Humboldt Research Award, Dr. Cava has significantly shaped the global materials research community through his leadership and mentorship. He has received multiple teaching and mentoring awards at Princeton University, reflecting his commitment to developing the next generation of scientists who now lead research groups worldwide. As an active principal investigator, his laboratory continues to explore frontier materials systems with potential applications in next-generation electronic devices and quantum technologies. His ongoing research program maintains the innovative spirit that has characterized his career, bridging the disciplines of chemistry and physics to unlock new phenomena in quantum materials.
