Physics professor elected as a Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy
Jainendra Jain, Evan Pugh University Professor and Erwin W. Mueller Professor in Physics and Holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Physics, has been elected a Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy. Foreign fellows, elected annually, do not live in India and are renowned for their contributions to science and have contributed or can contribute to the progress of science in India.
Jain was elected for his research that predicted a new class of exotic particles, named ‘composite fermions.’ He went on to explain the fractional quantum Hall effect, a paradigmatic state of matter that occurs when electrons in two dimensions are subjected to a strong magnetic field, as the integer quantum Hall effect of composite fermions.
The academy wrote that Jain’s work, “accomplished a unification of the fractional and the integer quantum Hall effects, two Nobel prize winning phenomena. His discovery of composite fermions is recognized as a singular and transformative development in the realm of condensed matter physics.”
“I am deeply honored and profoundly grateful to the Indian National Science Academy for welcoming me into this truly esteemed community of scientists,” Jain said. “Being named a Foreign Fellow of INSA holds particular significance for me, as it comes from a scientific community that I both admire and hold dear. I also take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to my brilliant students and collaborators, whose contributions have been pivotal in uncovering the breadth of the composite fermions’ impact.”
In his research, Jain specializes in theoretical condensed matter physics. He uses theoretical approaches to understand the unexpected emergent behaviors of strongly interacting quantum many body systems, especially in low dimensions. His interests include anyons, Majorana particles, graphene physics and various topological phenomena.
“We are incredibly proud of Jainendra,” said Mauricio Terrones, George A. and Margaret M. Downsborough Department Head, Evan Pugh University Professor, and professor of chemistry and of material sciences at Penn State. “I am pleased to see this international acknowledgement of the impact of his foundational research. Jainendra’s groundbreaking theory has transformed our understanding of physics and opened the door to new areas of research for many other theoretical and experimental physicists.
Jain has previously been appointed as the holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Physics in 2023, elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2021, named an Evan Pugh University Professor in 2012, honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Indian Institute of Technology in 2010, elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008, and received the Oliver E. Buckley Prize from the American Physical Society in 2002.
Prior to joining the Penn State physics faculty in 1998, Jain was a professor of physics at Stony Brook University. He also was a postdoctoral scholar at Yale University and the University of Maryland. Jain earned a doctoral degree at Stony Brook University in 1985 after earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics in India.