Bangladeshi scientist M Zahid Hasan has been appointed as a visiting professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Zahid Hasan shared the news on his Facebook profile on Thursday, announcing his upcoming role at MIT starting in May 2024.
He will be instructing students on topics related to quantum matter and quantum topology.
Currently serving as a professor of Physics at Princeton University, Zahid gained international recognition for his groundbreaking work in discovering Weyl fermion particles alongside a team of scientists.
This discovery, hailed as one of the most significant achievements in recent physics, was a culmination of extensive research conducted at Princeton University.
Initially proposed by German physicist Hermann Weyl in 1929, the Weyl fermion remained elusive until Zahid's team successfully identified it in a laboratory setting, around 85 years later.
His pivotal contribution to physics earned him the prestigious Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award in 2021 from the US Department of Energy (DOE), recognizing his outstanding contributions to national, economic, and energy-related issues.
Born and raised in Dhaka, Zahid Hasan completed his secondary education at Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School in 1986 and his higher secondary education at Dhaka College in 1988. He then pursued higher education in the United States, where he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas, working closely with Nobel laureate physicist Steven Weinberg. Subsequently, he obtained his PhD from Stanford University, during which he devised a novel technique to extract the four quantum numbers of electrons in solid matter.
Joining the faculty at Princeton University, Hasan has mentored over 20 doctoral students, contributing significantly to the field of quantum physics. In 2024, Hasan achieved another milestone in quantum physics, collaborating with a team of scientists to observe quantum effects using Aharonov-Bohm interference at elevated temperatures. This breakthrough is expected to drive advancements in future technologies, including high-speed computing and ultra-secure communication systems.
Throughout his illustrious career, Hasan has held various esteemed positions, including Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics at Princeton University, Robert H Dick Fellow, Visiting Miller Professor at UC Berkeley, and Visiting Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
