- Speaker
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Ryotaro Arita, Ph.D.Professor, Department of Physics, University of Tokyo
The 2025 lecture series in physics is “Matter Under Pressure.” This series will investigate the fascinating behaviors of matter when subjected to extreme conditions. From the intense forces found in planetary cores to the violent dynamics of cosmic events, speakers will discuss how pressure can alter the physical and chemical properties of materials. The lectures will cover a range of topics, including the creation of new materials, the study of exotic states of matter in stars and the implications for understanding both Earth and exoplanetary environments.
2025 Lecture Series Themes
Biology: Mechanisms of Evolution
Mathematics and Computer Science: Discovering Mathematics Through Computers
Presidential Lectures are a series of free public colloquia spotlighting groundbreaking research across four themes: neuroscience and autism science, physics, biology, and mathematics and computer science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are designed to foster discussion and drive discovery within the New York City research community. We invite those interested in these topics to join us for this weekly lecture series.
When matter is pushed to extreme pressures, its behavior can defy intuition and open the door to remarkable phenomena. One striking case is hydrogen-rich compounds, where superconductivity emerges at unexpectedly high temperatures. While such systems are challenging to probe experimentally, advances in theory now allow us to predict their properties directly from equations, without relying on empirical rules. Beyond transition temperatures, these methods provide insight into coherence lengths, magnetic penetration depths, critical fields, and currents — quantities essential for understanding superconductivity.
In this Presidential Lecture, Ryotaro Arita will show how first-principles theory illuminates inaccessible regimes and guides the exploration of new superconductors under extreme conditions.
About the Speaker
Arita is a theoretical condensed-matter physicist, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s Department of Physics and team director of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Tokyo in 2000 after undergraduate and master’s studies there. His research focuses on first-principles calculations, many-body theory and the design and prediction of novel functional materials such as superconductors, magnets, and topological materials. His major recognitions include the Ryogo Kubo Memorial Prize (2015) and the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2023).