Professor J. Michael Kosterlitz, a Nobel Laureate, Visits Shenzhen International Quantum Academy and LinLab

Professor J. Michael Kosterlitz is the Harrison E. Farnsworth Professor of Physics at Brown University and a recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics. His pioneering work with Professor David J. Thouless established a new understanding of topological phase transitions in two-dimensional systems, including the vortex-unbinding mechanism now known as the Kosterlitz–Thouless transition. His research has had a lasting influence on condensed-matter physics, from superconductivity and superfluidity to critical phenomena and topological phases of matter.

On May 28, 2026, Professor Kosterlitz visited the Shenzhen International Quantum Academy and LinLab, where he met with Dr. Ben-Chuan LIN and faculty members working in related areas. The exchange centered on kagome quantum materials and unconventional superconductivity, bringing Professor Kosterlitz’s perspective on two-dimensional phase transitions into dialogue with experimental research at the Academy.

Kagome materials and unconventional superconductivity

Professor Kosterlitz, Dr. Lin, and the participating scholars discussed how geometrical frustration, electronic correlations, and lattice symmetry can generate intertwined quantum states in kagome materials. Their conversation focused on the relationship between superconductivity and nearby charge-ordered, nematic, and magnetic phases, as well as the challenge of identifying the microscopic interactions that favor unconventional pairing.

They also examined how pairing symmetry and phase coherence can be distinguished experimentally. Questions surrounding broken symmetries, anisotropic superconducting gaps, and the possible emergence of topological superconducting states formed an important part of the discussion, alongside the need to compare transport measurements with thermodynamic and spectroscopic evidence.

Phase fluctuations, vortices, and experimental signatures

Professor Kosterlitz’s work on topological defects offered a natural framework for discussing phase fluctuations and vortex physics in quasi-two-dimensional kagome superconductors. The participants exchanged views on superfluid stiffness, vortex–antivortex dynamics, and finite-temperature transitions, and considered how reduced dimensionality, disorder, and competing orders may influence the onset of global superconducting coherence.

Dr. Lin shared questions arising from LinLab’s studies of kagome superconductors, particularly how transport experiments can separate changes in pairing strength from changes in phase coherence. Professor Kosterlitz responded from the perspective of statistical mechanics and topological phase transitions, while other faculty members added insights from materials growth, spectroscopy, and quantum transport.

The visit provided an opportunity to connect foundational ideas in two-dimensional physics with current experimental questions in kagome materials. The discussion highlighted the value of sustained dialogue between theory and experiment in the search for clearer signatures of unconventional superconductivity.