Massimo Boninsegni

Massimo Boninsegni is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Science. His research focuses on theoretical condensed matter physics, the quantum many-body problem, superconductivity, superfluidity, and computational physics. He holds a BSc from the Università degli Studi di Genova (1986) and a PhD from Florida State University (1992).

Professional Background:

• Postdoctoral Research Associate, NCSA, University of Illinois (1992-1995)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Delaware (1995-1997)
• Assistant Professor, San Diego State University (1997-2001)
• Associate Professor, San Diego State University (2001-2002)
• Associate Professor, University of Alberta (2002-2005)
• Professor, University of Alberta (2005–present)

Research Interests: Dr. Boninsegni explores quantum phenomena in low-dimensional systems, including superfluidity in confined helium and hydrogen clusters, Bose condensation, and quantum Monte Carlo simulations. His work addresses fundamental questions in many-body physics, such as phase transitions, defect dynamics in quantum solids, and the interplay between quantum statistics and material properties.

Teaching: In Spring Term 2025, he taught PHYS 126 - Fluids, Fields, and Radiation (targeted at life/environmental/medical sciences students) and PHYS 130 - Wave Motion, Optics, and Sound (for engineering students). These courses cover fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, and wave phenomena with a computational physics focus.

Awards:

• Fellow, American Physical Society, Division of Computational Physics (2008)

Advising & Grants: While no specific advisees or grants are listed, his academic rank and publications indicate active research supervision and likely grant-funded projects in computational physics and quantum many-body systems. He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams, including those in computer science and materials engineering, as reflected by his affiliation with the Centennial Center for Interdisciplinary SCS II.