Scientists / Open questions
David J. Thouless
Condensed matter physics; topological phase transitions
2016 Nobel Prize in Physics
9 questions
Robustness of the adiabatic-phase Magnus force on a vortex in a superconductor film at finite temperature: core, normal-fluid, and spectral-flow contributions
Quantitative dynamical theory of flux periodicity and Hall-conductance quenching in multiply-connected fractional quantum Hall systems
Extending the Ao–Thouless–Zhu nonlinear Schrödinger equation for superconductors beyond zero temperature, clean s-wave pairing, and slow variation
Topological derivation of the integer quantum Hall quantization in a Hall bar with sharp edges and voltage probes of arbitrary width
Completing the force law on a quantized vortex in a superfluid: the Iordanskii-force coefficient and dissipative forces beyond strong pinning, homogeneity, and scalar order parameters
Finite-magnetic-field extension and dynamical stability of three-dimensional Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal solitary waves in magnetized plasma
Quantitative vortex tunneling with pinning, dissipation, and the Magnus force: full rates, crossover regimes, and experimental tests beyond the Ao-Thouless limiting cases
Nondissipative transverse force on a quantized vortex in a superconductor beyond the superclean, disorder-free limit
Controlled higher-order extension of the nonlinear-Schrödinger effective Lagrangian for clean BCS superconductors: amplitude dynamics and vortex-core structure