Charles L. Kane

Charles Kane's research is focused on the quantum electronic properties of materials and electronic devices. Of interest is understanding the collective behavior of electrons in materials, which is important both for applications in electronics technology as well as for our understanding of the fundamental emergent behavior that matter can exhibit. Kane is known for his theoretical work characterizing Luttinger liquids, the quantum Hall effect and carbon nanotubes. His recent work has focused on topological electronic phases. He predicted the existence of a new class of materials known as topological insulators, which are electrical insulators on their interior but conduct electricity in a very special way on their surface. The special properties of these surface states identify a novel kind of topological order and could be useful for applications ranging from low power electronics to creating a topological quantum computer. The combination of the theoretical richness of topological insulators and related materials and their experimental availability, has initiated a new field in condensed matter physics. The key questions include: What are the possible fundamental electronic phases? How can they be realized in realistic materials or devices? and How can their properties be harnessed for practical applications?