theoretical physics

Martin Rodriguez-Vega, left, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Quantum Matter and Correlated Electron Theory Lab, works with physics graduate student Zexun Lin. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Is math really the language of nature? This physicist is on a quest to find out.

Growing up in a small Mexican town, Martin Rodriguez-Vega, a postdoctoral research associate in physics, felt disconnected from anything scientific. Now, as he studies the exotic properties of quantum materials, Rodriguez Vega finds that one of the most important parts of being a physicist is the bonds he’s formed with budding and accomplished scientists alike.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa October 26, 2020

James Halverson, an assistant professor of physics in the College of Science, uses artificial intelligence to untangle knots and uncover the secrets of the universe. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why you need a computer to understand strings and knots

Some questions are simply too big for humans to answer alone. “How does the universe work?” is a good example. James Halverson and Brent Nelson, physicists at Northeastern, are getting a little extra help from artificial intelligence to uncover the secrets of why we exist.

by Emily Arntsen August 26, 2020

Postdoctoral researcher Martin Rodriguez-Vega and Zexun Lin work on a physics project in Dana Hall. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Scientists are baffled by this magnet. Shooting it with lasers might help.

Magnetite, a mineral that has informed scientists about magnetism for ages, can still puzzle modern physicists. Northeastern professor Gregory Fiete and postdoctoral researcher Martin Rodriguez-Vega are trying to unlock its riddles.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa March 17, 2020

Gregory Fiete, a professor of physics at Northeastern, is leading a team of theoretical physicists who study subatomic behaviors hidden within superconductors and other rare materials that could lead to better and faster technologies based on quantum physics. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

He’s on a quest to find the patterns that built everything around us

Gregory Fiete, a professor of physics at Northeastern, is exploring the electrons of materials that could catalyze a new technological era based on quantum systems.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa January 13, 2020

Arun Bansil, University Distinguished Professor of physics and Robert Markiewicz, professor of physics, are part of a team of researchers who are describing the mechanism by which copper-oxide materials turn from insulators to superconductors. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Superconductor or not? They're exploring the identity crisis of this weird quantum material.

Northeastern researchers have used a powerful computer model to probe a mysterious class of copper-based materials that can be turned into superconductors. Their findings offer tantalizing clues for a decades-old mystery, and a step forward for quantum computing.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa January 2, 2020

Herbert Levine, University Distinguished Professor of Physics, looks over research with graduate student Shubham Tripathi in the new Center for the Physics Underlying Mammalian Biology and Complex Diseases. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

He’s using theoretical physics to make sense of cancer

Herbert Levine, University Distinguished Professor of Physics at Northeastern, is collaborating with cancer biologists to explore fundamental questions, including how cancer spreads and why immunotherapies only work for certain patients.

by Brittany Flaherty - contributor August 22, 2019