M. Zahid Hasan

M. Zahid Hasan is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics at Princeton University, where he leads the laboratory for Topological Quantum Matter and Advanced Spectroscopy. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University and SLAC National Laboratory in 2002, following an M.S. and B.S. in Physics from Stanford and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively.

Research Interests

Dr. Hasan's research spans topological quantum matter, Weyl/Dirac semimetals, quantum spin liquids, and exotic superconductivity. His group developed advanced spectroscopic techniques (spin-ARPES, STM/STS, ultrafast optics) to experimentally validate theoretical predictions of topological phases, including Majorana zero modes, chiral fermions, and room-temperature quantum edge states. His work has fundamentally reshaped condensed matter physics by coining the term Topological Quantum Matter in 2007 and discovering over 250 publications in Nature, Science, and Physical Review Letters.

Scientific Contributions

His articles reveal a focus on kagome lattice systems, topological magnets, and non-quantum-Hall phases. Key breakthroughs include the first observation of Weyl fermions and Chern gap quantization in magnetic topological insulators.

• 2020 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for groundbreaking discoveries in topological phases
• American Competitiveness & Innovation Fellowship (NSF)
• Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and other major societies

His laboratory drives global collaborations at SLAC, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, and MIT, with research funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and DOE.