Liang Kong

Liang Kong is a Researcher at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). He previously held academic positions at Tsinghua University (Associate Professor), Harvard University (Research Associate), University of New Hampshire (Lecturer), and several postdoctoral institutes including the Max Planck Institute, IHES, and California Institute of Technology.

• Education: PhD in Mathematics (2005, Rutgers University), Master (1997) and Bachelor (1994) in Physics (University of Houston and University of Science & Technology of China).

Research Interests: His work bridges mathematical physics, topological field theories, and category theory, focusing on 2D conformal field theories, topological phases of matter, and enriched monoidal categories. He explores connections between quantum field theories and algebraic structures like tensor categories and braided fusion categories, with applications to quantum computing and condensed matter physics.

Publications: His research spans topological quantum field theory, conformal field theory, and quantum lattice models, with notable contributions to Levin-Wen models, Cardy algebras, and anyon condensation. Collaborative works with Xiao-Gang Wen and Ingo Runkel underpin his impact in topological order classification and gapless edge states.

Positions: Current role at the Shenzhen Institutes of Quantum Science and Engineering (2018–present) follows appointments at Harvard, Tsinghua, and the University of New Hampshire.