Oskar Vafek

Dr. Oskar Vafek is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Florida State University (FSU), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He also serves as Director of the Condensed Matter Theory (CMS-Theory) group at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) in Tallahassee, FL. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 2003, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University's Institute for Theoretical Physics before joining FSU in 2006. His research focuses on condensed matter theory, particularly superconductivity and quantum phase transitions, with recent work exploring moiré materials, topological insulators, and strongly correlated electron systems. Vafek has received prestigious awards including the FYAP (2007), NSF CAREER award (2010), and NSF grants (2015).

Teaching highlights include advanced graduate courses such as Quantum Mechanics (PHY5645/5646), Quantum Many Body Physics (PHY5670), and Superconductivity and Superfluidity (PHY6937). His research is supported by the Simons Foundation and other institutions. Vafek actively collaborates on experimental efforts, as evidenced by his co-authored papers on twisted bilayer graphene and MoTe₂ systems. His lab affiliations include the NHMFL, leveraging its high-field capabilities for cutting-edge studies.

• Education: Ph.D. in Physics, Johns Hopkins University (2003)
• Lab Affiliations: National High Magnetic Field Lab (FSU)
• Key Research Themes: Moiré heterostructures, fractional Chern insulators, topological phases, and quantum many-body theory