Prof. Ron Lifshitz

Prof. Ron Lifshitz is a theoretical physicist working on a range of topics in two separate fields: Quasicrystals and Nanomechanics. His work on quasicrystals in the last decade is mainly concerned with unlocking the secret to their thermodynamic stability -- especially in the context of soft condensed matter -- and using it to control their self-assembly via pair-potential design. In addition, he studies the fundamentals of aperiodic long-range order and its effect on physical properties, currently focusing on the puzzling nature of single-electron quantum wave functions in quasicrystals. In the field of nanomechanics Prof. Lifshitz's studies range from the mesoscopic physics of phonons in confined geometries and their interaction with electrons, the classical dynamics of coupled nonlinear nanomechanical resonators and oscillators, and the quantum-mechanical behavior of human-made nanoscale devices, with an emphasis on nonlinear quantum dynamics.

• B.Sc. in Physics & Computer Science, The Hebrew University, 1990

• Ph.D. in Physics, Cornell University, 1995

• Research Fellow in Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1995-1998

• Senior Research Fellow in Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1998-1999

• Senior Lecturer in Physics, Tel Aviv University, 1999-2006

• Visiting Associate in Physics (Summer appointments), California Institute of Technology, 2001, 2003, 2009

• Associate Professor of Physics, Tel Aviv University, 2006-2013

• Visiting Associate in Physics (Sabbatical leave), California Institute of Technology, 2006-2007

• Guest Professor of Physics, University of Stuttgart & Max Planck Institute for Solid State Physics, Summer 2010

• Visiting Associate in Physics (Long-term appointment), California Institute of Technology, 2011-2017

• Honorary International Chair Professor, National Taipei University of Technology, 2012-2015

• Professor of Physics, Tel Aviv University, 2013-present

• Chair, Condensed Matter Physics Department, Tel Aviv University, 2015-2019

• Chair, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Institute for Solid State Physics, Tel Aviv University, 2017-present

• Visiting Cheney Fellow, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, 2021-2023 (1st visit: Sep. 2021-Feb. 2022)

• Honorary Visiting Professor, School of Physical Sciences, University of Liverpool, 2022-2024 (1st visit: Mar. 2022-present)

• Annual recipient of the Dean’s Prize for Undergraduate Studies, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Hebrew University, 1988,1989,1990

• Prize for the Best Theoretical Presentation by a Young Scientist, 5^th International Conference on Quasicrystals, 1995

• Prize Fellowship in Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1995-1998

• The Olschwang Prize in Physics, Israel Science Foundation, 2002

• Rector’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Tel Aviv University, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2018

• Jean-Marie Dubois Award for Research in Quasicrystals, 2013

• Fellow of the American Physical Society, 2015

• Cheney Fellowship, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, 2021

• Leverhulme Trust Fellowship, School of Physical Sciences, University of Liverpool, 2022