DMITRI KHARZEEV
Distinguished Professor
Physics and Astronomy
dmitri.kharzeev@Stonybrook.edu | (631)-632-8118, Physics C-142A
Research Group Website

Biography
Dmitri Kharzeev has been a member of the faculty at Stony Brook University since 2010, where he serves as SUNY Distinguished Professor of Physics, Director of the Center for Nuclear Theory, and Lead Principal Investigator of the Co-Design Center for Quantum Advantage. From 2004 to 2010, he headed the Nuclear Theory Group at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He received his Ph.D. in Particle and Nuclear Physics from Moscow State University in 1990. Following this, he held research positions at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics, the Theory Division of CERN in Geneva, and Bielefeld University. In 1997, he became the first Fellow of the RIKEN-BNL Research Center, founded and directed by Nobel laureate Tsung-Dao Lee.

Research Statement
My research lies at the intersection of quantum field theory, nuclear theory, and quantum information science, with broad connections to condensed matter physics. I am particularly interested in the role of quantum entanglement and topological effects in strongly interacting quantum systems—from the sub-nucleonic structure of hadrons to the collective dynamics of quark-gluon plasma and emergent phenomena in quantum materials.

A central theme of my work is understanding how quantum information concepts—such as entanglement entropy and quantum anomalies—illuminate the structure and dynamics of QCD, the theory of strong interactions. I have also explored how these ideas connect to condensed matter systems, including Dirac and Weyl materials, and to quantum technologies, such as spintronics and quantum sensing. As the Lead PI of the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA) at Stony Brook, I am actively developing quantum simulation approaches to strongly coupled gauge theories, and pursuing collaborations with leading academic institutions and quantum industry partners. My broader goal is to uncover the deep unity of quantum phenomena across disciplines—and to help translate fundamental insights into transformative technologies.