Skip to main content

Shailesh Chandrasekharan

Professor of Physics
Physics
Box 90305, Durham, NC 27708-0305
Science Drive, 253, Physics/Math Bldg., Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Prof. Chandrasekharan is interested in understanding quantum field theories non-perturbatively from first principles calculations. His research focuses on lattice formulations of these theories with emphasis on strongly correlated fermionic systems of interest in condensed matter, particle and nuclear physics. He develops novel Monte-Carlo algorithms to study these problems. He is particularly excited about solutions to the notoriously difficult sign problem that haunts quantum systems containing fermions and gauge fields. He has proposed an idea called the fermion bag approach, using which he has been able to solve numerous sign problems that seemed unsolvable earlier. Using various algorithmic advances over the past decade, he is interested in understanding the properties of quantum critical points containing interacting fermions. Some of his recent publications can be found here. Recently he is exploring how one can use quantum computers to solve quantum field theories.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Physics · 2018 - Present Physics, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

In the News


Published May 31, 2015
Exploring the origins of mass using fermions and the Open Science Grid
Published March 31, 2014
Grad Student Solves 30-Year-Old Physics Problem

View All News

Recent Publications


Monomer-dimer tensor-network basis for qubit-regularized lattice gauge theories

Journal Article Physical Review D · June 6, 2025 Traditional SU(N) lattice gauge theories (LGTs) can be formulated using an orthonor ... Full text Cite

Phases of 2D massless QCD with qubit regularization

Journal Article Physical Review D · May 1, 2025 We investigate the possibility of reproducing the continuum physics of 2D SU(N) gauge theory coupled to a single flavor of massless Dirac fermion using qubit regularization. The continuum theory is described by N free fermions in the ultraviolet (UV) and a ... Full text Cite

Transverse field γ -matrix spin chains

Journal Article Physical Review D · November 1, 2024 We introduce a simple lattice spin model that is written in terms of the well-known four-dimensional γ-matrix representation of the Clifford algebra. The local spins with a four-dimensional Hilbert space transform in a spinorial (1/2,0) (0,1/2) representat ... Full text Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Lattice Gauge Theories on a Quantum Computer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Los Alamos National Laboratory · 2024 - 2028

Lattice and Effective Field Theory Studies of Quantum Chromodynamics

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2005 - 2027

Coherence and Correlations in Electronic Nanostructures

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2005 - 2009

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


Columbia University · 1996 Ph.D.
Columbia University · 1994 M.Phil.
Columbia University · 1992 M.A.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (India) · 1989 B.S.