David Pekker

David Pekker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Dietrich School. His research focuses on quantum many-body systems, including dynamics of ultracold atoms and condensed matter physics. Key interests include alternatives to thermalization, topology, and non-Abelian excitations for quantum computing applications.

Education: BA in Mathematics and BS in Physics from Rice University (2002), PhD in Physics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (advised by Paul Goldbart). Postdoctoral training at Harvard University and Caltech, focusing on ultracold atom physics and topological systems.

Research emphasizes quantum interference devices, superconducting nanowires, and many-body localization. Notable contributions include work on Majorana fermions in cold atom systems and the 'Higgs' amplitude mode in superfluid transitions.

Current advisees include Chenxu Liu and Binbin Tian. Collaborates on nanoscale superconducting devices and quantum information technologies.