Michel Gingras
Biography
Professor Gingras’ main interests are in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics, with a focus on systems with random disorder. He is also interested in strongly correlated classical and quantum condensed matter systems subject to strongly competing, or frustrated, interactions. Gingras’ lab frequently collaborates with experimentalists to test theoretical ideas developed in the group. They use a variety of analytical and computational methods, including large-scale numerical simulations, to address these areas of research.
Research Interests
Quantum Magnetism
Frustrated Classical and Quantum Magnetism
Spin Ice
Random Disordered Condensed Matter Systems
Condensed Matter
Quantum Science
Scholarly Research
Professor Gingras' main research interests are in the field of theoretical condensed matter physics, with a focus on systems with random disorder, as well as strongly correlated classical and quantum condensed matter systems subject to strongly competing, or frustrated, interactions.
He often collaborates with experimentalists both in Canada and internationally, either trying to understand their results or to conceive new experiments to test theoretical ideas developed in his group. More generally, he is intrigued by problems that exhibit interesting and perplexing collective behaviour. To pursue this research, his students and post-docs employ a range of analytical methods as well as a wide variety of computational techniques, often performing large-scale numerical simulations using programs that we develop, test and run on various platforms.
The number of students and post-docs in his group varies with time between 3-4 graduate students and a couple of post-docs.
Professor Gingras always entertains the interest of potential graduate students and undergraduate students to join the group.
Details on specific research projects can be found on Dr. Gingras' site.
Education
1990 PhD Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1985 MSc Physics, Université Laval, Laval, Québec, Canada
1983 BSc Physics, Université Laval, Laval, Québec, Canada
Awards
2019, Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
2014, Outstanding Referee Award, American Physical Society
2012, Killam Research Fellowship, Canada Council for the Arts
2011, Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society
2010, 2003, Canada Research Chair (Tier I)
2010, 2007, 2004, Outstanding Performance Award, University of Waterloo
2009, Brockhouse Medal, Canadian Association of Physicists
2003, E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
2001, Herzberg Medal, Canadian Association of Physicists
2000, Inaugural recipient of the Award for Excellence in Research, University of Waterloo
Service
2015-present, Oak Ridge National Lab, Reviewer
2003-present, Center for Neutron Research, Reviewer
Professional Associations
2011-present American Physical Society, Elected Fellow
1999-present Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Fellow of the Quantum Materials Program
Affiliations and Volunteer Work
Member, Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute
Member, Guelph-Waterloo Chemistry Graduate Program
Teaching*
- PHYS 234 - Quantum Physics 1
- Taught in 2022, 2024
- PHYS 335 - Condensed Matter Physics
- Taught in 2020
- PHYS 434 - Quantum Physics 3
- Taught in 2025
- PHYS 435 - Current Topics in Condensed Matter Physics
- Taught in 2023, 2024
* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.