FACULTY
Kunal K. Das
Professor of Physics
PhD, SUNY Stony Brook
Professor Kunal K. Das is a theoretical physicist whose research is at the exciting interface between condensed matter physics and the physics of ultracold atoms. His current interests include quantum information, and the effects of topology and interactions in quantum dynamics. Much of his recent work has been in the context of ultracold atoms in topologically non-trivial configurations such as in ring-shaped lattices. His research is motivated by basic science as well as by practical applications. He continues to examine ultracold atoms as a macroscopic quantum platform to simulate and probe fundamental physics. He has developed high precision sensor mechanisms associated with such platforms that have led to two U.S. patent awards.
Professor Das has worked on several different topics throughout his career. He has contributed to the theory of Bose Einstein condensate, degenerate Fermi gas and Tonks-Girardeau gas. He has worked on mesoscopic transport in the context of nanotechnology as well as atomtronics. He has published works on applying quantum and classical stochastic calculus to complex systems spanning biology and many-body physics.
Over sixty students have been closely mentored in research by Professor Das. They include both undergraduate and graduate students at multiple universities, and many of them have received awards including at the national level. He is dedicated to creating excellent career placements for the students who work with him.
His research has been continuously supported by grants for nearly two decades, mostly from the National Science Foundation. He has been a Scholar of the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics (KITP) in Santa Barbara, CA. He has a deep interest in the foundations of modern physics, which he actively pursues outside of his professional obligations.