Michael Lawler

Michael Lawler is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Physics at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences and an Associate Professor of Physics at State University of New York at Binghamton. His research bridges condensed matter physics and quantum information science, with a focus on quantum spin liquids, frustrated magnetic systems, and quantum liquid crystals.

Dr. Lawler earned his B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Queen's University in 1999 and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2006. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Toronto from 2006-2008 before joining Cornell University as an Adjunct Assistant Professor (2008-2017) and later as an Adjunct Associate Professor (2017-present). Concurrently, he has held positions at SUNY Binghamton, progressing from Assistant Professor (2008-2016) to Associate Professor (2016-present).

His research centers on two fundamental problems in condensed matter physics: identifying how quantum spin liquids form in frustrated magnetic insulators and proposing experimental verification methods, and understanding collective phenomena in strongly interacting electron systems. His group employs quantum field theory techniques to study electronic liquid crystal phases with emphasis on quantum criticality and breakdown of the quasiparticle picture. Recent work has expanded into quantum computing applications, exploring how quantum algorithms behave like condensed matter systems and vice versa.

Analysis of his publication record reveals a clear evolution from traditional condensed matter theory toward quantum information applications. Early work (2016-2017) focused on frustrated quantum mechanical systems and quantum liquid crystals, while more recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a significant shift toward quantum computing, quantum error correction, and machine learning applications in physics. This progression reflects the growing intersection between condensed matter physics and quantum information science.

• John Bardeen Award for outstanding contributions to electronic materials (2006)

Dr. Lawler actively mentors graduate students including Gaurav Gyawali, Jiabao Yang, Po-Wei Lo, and Eric Aspling, who work on topics spanning quantum computing algorithms, frustrated magnets, and relativistic quantum information. His group has secured funding for research at the interface of condensed matter physics and quantum information science, supporting multiple graduate students and postdocs. The Lawler Group maintains active collaborations between Cornell and Binghamton, with undergraduate researchers contributing to projects at both institutions.

The Lawler Group operates at both Cornell University and SUNY Binghamton, with physical spaces in Clark Hall at Cornell and the Smart Energy Building at Binghamton. The group maintains an active blog discussing quantum computing, materials science, neural networks, and information theory, reflecting their interdisciplinary approach to modern physics problems.