2025 Wolf Prize in Physics awarded to Prof. Moty Heiblum
By Noga Martin
Prof. Emeritus Moty Heiblum from the Department of Condensed Matter Physics is one of three 2025 laureates of the prestigious Wolf Prize in Physics, awarded by the Wolf Foundation. He shares the honor with Jainendra K. Jain of Pennsylvania State University and James P. Eisenstein of the California Institute of Technology. The award was given for “advancing our understanding of the surprising properties of two-dimensional electron systems in strong magnetic fields.”
Prof. Heiblum studies the quantum behavior of electrons in solids at ultra-low temperatures. His work has demonstrated how controlled interactions of interfering electrons with the environment can turn “on and off” their quantum behavior. Some of his basic findings have helped clarify particle-wave duality, as well as the influence of measurement on the quantum behavior of electrons.
The Wolf Foundation celebrates these three scientists for their contributions to transforming our understanding of the fractional quantum Hall effect, in which a thin layer of electrons in a magnetic field behaves as if the electrical current is carried by particles having just a fraction of the charge carried by a single electron. Prof. Heiblum is hailed for pioneering the exploration of these exotic particles in the laboratory. Ultimately, the scientists’ work is expected to have a lasting impact on emerging quantum technologies.
Prof. Heiblum’s many previous awards include the IBM Outstanding Innovation Award, the EMET Prize awarded by the A.M.N. Foundation for the Advancement of Science, Art and Culture, and the American Physical Society’s Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize.
