Supriyo Datta

Supriyo Datta received his PhD from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1979 working on surface acoustic wave devices, and has been with Purdue University since 1981. The non-equilibrium Green function (NEGF) method approach pioneered by his group for the description of quantum transport has been extensively adopted both in academic research and in computer-aided design tools by companies at the forefront of semiconductor technology. It is also used by quantum chemists working on molecular electronics.

Datta is credited with introducing spin-orbit coupling as a means to control electron spin with an electric field rather than a magnetic field. This relativistic effect is now widely used in spintronics and quantum computing. He is also well known for his innovative theoretical proposals that have inspired new fields of research, including molecular thermoelectricity, negative capacitance devices, and spintronics.

The author of several books and online courses, he has made his work accessible to a broad audience of engineers, physicists and chemists.

He has received multiple awards for both research and teaching. Sigma Xi awarded him the Procter Prize for his original contributions along with the ability to communicate across disciplines. Most recently in 2023, he received a University Research Award from the Semiconductor Industry Association.

In addition to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Datta is also an elected member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE).