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is awarded to
"I am honoured to receive this recognition from the Canadian Association of Physicists. My work in quantum magnetism, from frustrated and anisotropic systems to recent questions in altermagnetism, has been a deeply collaborative effort. I am grateful to the students, postdocs, colleagues, and collaborators whose contributions have made it possible." winner quote
The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) is pleased to announce that the 2026 CAP Herzberg Medal is awarded to Jeffrey Rau, University of Windsor, in recognition of his international leadership in the theory of frustrated magnetism, and especially for elucidating the theory of a new form of magnetism called altermagnetism. announcement
Dr. Jeffrey G. Rau is a theoretical condensed matter physicist specializing in quantum magnetism and strongly correlated systems. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Windsor.
His research focuses on the emergent and collective behaviour in magnetic materials, investigating how factors like frustration, competing interactions, and quantum fluctuations influence their properties. Dr. Rau’s theoretical work is notable for its direct engagement with experimental systems and a focus on models and questions relevant for real magnetic materials. He has contributed accessible theoretical frameworks that have helped identify and characterize novel phases of matter, including a phenomenological Landau theory of altermagnetism and methods for understanding spectral gaps in systems exhibiting order-by-disorder. His work on heavy transition metal and rare-earth magnets has deepened our understanding of their exchange interactions, potential exotic magnetic ground states, as well as their topological magnetic excitations. His publications use a range of analytical and computational methods to address complex magnetic phenomena and excitations, often collaborating with leading experimental groups to understand and interpret data on new and old magnetic materials. His work has been recognized through high-impact publications, numerous invited talks, and a range of international collaborations.
Dr. Rau completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Windsor and his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at the University of Waterloo and the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany before returning to join the faculty at the University of Windsor. nominator citation