In Memoriam: Aron Pinczuk (1939-2022)

Dear friends and colleagues,

We mourn the loss of Aron Pinczuk, Professor of Applied Physics and Professor of Physics at Columbia University, who passed away on February 13, 2022. Professor Pinczuk touched the lives of many as a mentor, colleague and friend with his joint appointments in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics and the Department of Physics and as a member of the Columbia Nanoinitiative (CNI).

Professor Pinczuk was a leader in the field of resonant light-scattering from solids, with a focus on correlated electronic states in two dimensional materials. He explored the frontiers of basic physics, of fabrication protocols, and of materials science in nanoscale artificial patterns. The devices created in his research served as simulators of novel quantum phenomena and of advanced device concepts and addressed issues important to scientists seeking to create fundamental and applied science for the development of the next-generation of electronic and opto-electronic devices. His research introduced novel optical methods that enabled a new understanding of the properties of novel materials and the physics of exotic phases of matter that emerge in semiconductors and semimetals at extremely low temperatures.

Some of his numerous awards include being a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 1987, In receiving the Oliver E. Buckley Prize for Condensed Matter Physics from the American Physical Society in 1994, receiving an "Honoris-Causa" Doctorate Degree from the Universidad Autónoma in Madrid, Spain, in 1997, being a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2002, being a recipient of the Columbia University Avanessians Diversity Award in 2008, being a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009, and receiving the Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Faculty Excellence Award in 2015.

Professor Aron Pinczuk was an active faculty member, advisor, and researcher at Columbia University up until the time of his death. He will be remembered by his colleagues and students for his excellence, kindness, and dedication to his teaching and research.

A more detailed obituary featuring his career and impact can be found here. He will be greatly missed.

This text is co-signed by

Marc Spiegelman, Prof of Applied Mathematics and Arthur D. Storke Prof. of Earth & Environmental Science
Chair: Dept of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics

Dmitri Basov, Higgins Professor
Chair of Physics

Keren Bergman, Charles Batchelor Professor of Electrical Engineering
CNI Scientific Director