Philip B. Allen

Philip B. Allen is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Stony Brook University, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. His academic career spans over five decades, with significant contributions to condensed matter theory, nanoscience, and earth and planetary materials physics. He received his BA from Amherst College (1964) and PhD from UC Berkeley (1969), supervised by Marvin L. Cohen. Before joining Stony Brook in 1971, he worked at Bell Laboratories. His research has explored high-temperature superconductors, transport properties, nanowire behavior, and earth mineral physics, particularly the lower mantle's properties. Allen has collaborated extensively with institutions like Brookhaven National Lab and co-founded initiatives like SWaSSiT (Solar Water Splitting Simulation Team). His group has produced notable work on nanocrystalline nanowires, electron-phonon interactions, and computational earth mineral physics. He has advised numerous students and postdocs, including notable alumni such as Jainendra K. Jain and Renata Wentzcovitch. His pedagogical contributions include reviews on electron transport and superconductivity theories. Allen’s work bridges theoretical insights with computational modeling, addressing challenges in energy and materials science.

• Education:
  • B.A., Amherst College, 1964
  • PhD, University of California, Berkeley, 1969
• Research Interests:
  • Condensed matter theory
  • Nanoscience (nanowires, nanoclusters)
  • Earth and planetary materials physics
  • Thermal and electronic transport phenomena
  • Electron-phonon interactions
• Key Collaborations:
  • SWaSSiT (Solar Water Splitting Simulation Team)
  • VLab consortium (computational earth mineral physics)
  • Brookhaven National Lab (BNL)
• Teaching:
  • Taught courses including Physics 556, 540, 311, and 131 at Stony Brook.

His research trends emphasize nanoscale phenomena and earth sciences, with recent focus on thermal conductivity breakdown models, nanowire structure/phonon interactions, and photocatalytic water splitting. Allen’s work often integrates computational methods with experimental insights, addressing both fundamental and applied challenges in materials science.

• Advising & Grants:
  • Supervised over 20 PhD students and postdocs.
  • Received funding from NSF, DOE, and Guggenheim Foundation.
• Labs/Teams:
  • Allen Research Group at Stony Brook
  • SWaSSiT collaboration