Predrag Nikolić

Predrag Nikolić is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at George Mason University (GMU) and holds adjunct positions at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His research focuses on strongly correlated quantum systems, including topological insulators, high-temperature superconductivity, ultra-cold atoms, and frustrated quantum magnets. He earned his Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Theory from MIT (2004) and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade (1998). His work bridges theoretical physics and experimental insights, leveraging quantum field theory and numerical methods.

Key research areas include the interplay between topology and magnetism in materials, vortex dynamics in superconductors, and quantum phase transitions in ultra-cold atomic systems. Notable contributions include studies on topological spin dynamics, Cooper pair insulators, and the role of vortices in cuprate superconductors. He has mentored multiple Ph.D. students and postdocs, fostering collaborations across institutions like the Max Planck Institute and Rice University.

Nikolić's theoretical frameworks explain phenomena such as checkerboard density waves and in-gap spin excitons in Kondo insulators. His research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and other agencies. He maintains active teaching roles, instructing courses in modern physics, quantum mechanics, and thermal physics at GMU.

His work on frustrated magnets, particularly the Kagome lattice antiferromagnet, explores singlet excitations and valence-bond solid phases. Recent studies highlight topological orders emerging from monopole-hedgehog configurations and spin-orbit coupling effects in quantum materials.