Physicist Charles Kane from the University of Pennsylvania set to receive the Lorentz Medal in 2026.

Charles Kane, 2026 Lorentz Medal Recipient, Honored for Pioneering Work in Topological Insulators

Physicist Charles Kane, the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Lorentz Medal. This prestigious award, one of theoretical physics' highest honors, is bestowed every four years by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Kane is being honored for his seminal research into material properties at the quantum level. Twenty years ago, Kane, along with longtime collaborator Eugene Mele, developed a theoretical framework predicting the quantum spin-Hall effect. This novel state of matter exhibits unique properties, blocking electrical flow in its interior while conducting it on its surface, a phenomenon that has since been verified experimentally.

The quantum spin-Hall effect paved the way for the discovery of topological insulators, materials with a special kind of electrical conduction on their surface. Kane's groundbreaking work initiated a new field in condensed matter physics, focusing on topological insulators.

Liang Fu, a doctoral student of Charles Kane, contributed significantly to the theoretical evidence for the existence of a three-dimensional topological insulator in nature. The work of Kane and Fu suggested that these materials could host Majorana quasiparticles, particles that have potential applications in quantum computing.

Mark Trodden, dean of SAS and Thomas S. Gates Jr. Professor of Physics and Astronomy, expressed his appreciation for Kane's presence at Penn. "Charles Kane's contributions to the field of physics are immeasurable," said Trodden. "His work on topological insulators has not only advanced our understanding of quantum matter but also opened up new avenues for research."

Charles Kane will be awarded the Lorentz Medal in Leiden on December 11, 2025. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and has received numerous awards for his work, including the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute, the Dirac Prize of the International Center for Theoretical Physics, the Oliver Buckley Prize of the American Physical Society, and the Physics Frontiers Prize of the Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation.

The discovery of topological insulators is one of the greatest scientific advances of the past 25 years or more, and Kane's work has been instrumental in this groundbreaking development. His continued contributions to the field will undoubtedly shape the future of physics.

Physicist Charles Kane from the University of Pennsylvania set to receive the Lorentz Medal in 2026.