MIT professor of physics Pablo Jarillo-Herrero is awarded the 2026 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for his foundational work in establishing the field of twistronics, alongside co-recipients Eva Y. Andrei from Rutgers University and Allan MacDonald from the University of Texas at Austin. The trio is recognized for their theoretical foundation and experimental validation of twistronics, which allows the manipulation of superconductivity, magnetism, and other properties by rotating two-dimensional materials like graphene to a 'magic angle.'
The Kavli Prize, awarded every two years by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and the Kavli Foundation, honors breakthroughs in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience that enhance our understanding of complex phenomena. Each laureate in their respective fields will share a prize of $1 million.
Nergis Mavalvala, dean of MIT's School of Science, commented, 'Pablo's groundbreaking research has once again been given well-deserved recognition. He and his co-recipients have pioneered twistronics, a fundamental scientific research area with myriad possibilities for novel quantum materials.'
In 2009, Andrei's group demonstrated that small variations in twist angle significantly altered the electronic structure of graphene using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, marking a fundamental advance in materials design and effectively launching the field now known as twistronics.
In 2011, MacDonald quantitatively explained the emergence of this electronic structure at discrete magic angles, establishing a theoretical foundation for moiré materials that has guided subsequent experimental and theoretical developments across various twisted and layered systems.
Jarillo-Herrero's group observed correlated insulating phases and superconductivity in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene devices in 2018. The resulting platform, which combines atomic-scale structural simplicity with electronic tunability, has led to systematic investigations and has had a broad and lasting impact on nanoscience and quantum material research, according to the Kavli Prize citation.
'It was a big surprise, because the technique we used, though conceptually straightforward, was hard to pull off in the lab,' Jarillo-Herrero remarked. He also serves as the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT and is a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics. 'I'm humbled and incredibly honored to be sharing this award with [Andrei and MacDonald],' he noted in an essay detailing his journey to the Kavli Prize. 'I want to also emphasize that this award honors fundamental physics research in nanoscience. It is incredibly important for society to continue to support fundamental research: Although it often doesn't have a direct near-term application, in the long run it happens to be the most transformative and impactful in society.'
'Pablo's research has helped spark a revolution in condensed matter physics and nanoscience, inspiring physicists worldwide to explore superconductivity and other emergent phenomena in engineered quantum materials. This work could potentially lead to the creation of superconductors at room temperature, which would have an enormous technological impact,' said Deepto Chakrabarty, physics department head and William A. M. Burden Professor in Astrophysics.
With this win, the number of all-time MIT faculty recipients of the Kavli Prize rises to nine, including previous winners Nancy Kanwisher in neuroscience (2024), Bob Langer in nanoscience (2024), Sara Seager in astrophysics (2024), Rainer Weiss in astrophysics (2016), Alan Guth in astrophysics (2014), Mildred Dresselhaus in nanoscience (2012), Ann Graybiel in neuroscience (2012), and Jane Luu in astrophysics (2012).
Blogger's Review: Jarillo-Herrero's recognition is not only a personal achievement but also an affirmation of the vast potential that twistronics holds for the future. The research in this field could lead us toward a revolution in next-generation quantum materials, particularly in the development of superconductors and other cutting-edge technologies, warranting ongoing attention and investment from the scientific community.