Biography

Professor Ranga Dias received his B.S. from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2006 and his Ph.D. in physics from Washington State University in 2013. He joins the University of Rochester as assistant professor Mechanical Engineering and Physics after a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Physics at Harvard University, where he investigated the quantum phenomena in hydrogens at extreme conditions. Dias is an internationally recognized scientist in the field of high pressure physics, and his work has also been reported in popular press, e.g. New York Times, BBC, NBC, NPR, Physics Today, New Scientist, Chemistry World, Science News, and Nature News and Views.

Research Overview

Professor Dias’ research focuses on materials at extreme pressure and temperature conditions, where materials alter their properties in many fundamental ways. Thus, they provide exciting opportunities for one to discover new materials, novel phenomena, and exotic states of matter that are not present at the ambient conditions. His main interests are high temperature superconductivity, magnetism, and superfluidity in the vicinity of quantum phase transitions. His research efforts not only address fundamental understanding but are also directed towards utilizing high pressure and temperature conditions to understand chemical processes and interactions to synthesize novel advanced materials, such as high energy density materials, superhard solids, and quantum materials.