Gregory Stewart, Ph.D.

Professor of Physics

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

2012 Awardee

Gregory Stewart works in the field of condensed matter experimental physics. In particular, he is a world expert in the field of heavy fermion and other exotic superconductors.

In recent years, Stewart has been quick to enter the field of iron-based superconductors. These were first discovered in early 2008 and are the “hot-topic” in the world of materials physics. This research has become the heart of his program.

Stewart makes high quality samples himself, some of which are then shipped off elsewhere, uses his facilities here to make measurements that cannot be made elsewhere, and also imports samples from other groups around the world.

The ability to measure specific heat in high magnetic fields is one of the key methods for understanding the nodal behavior of the new iron superconductors. Stewart was the first researcher to measure high field specific heat in the world. His group continues to be recognized for these measurements using both an in-house 16 Tesla superconducting magnet (the largest magnetic field outside the National Magnet Laboratory facilities in Florida) and up to 45 Tesla at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) in Tallahassee.

Stewart is moving forward with a difficult technique, measuring specific heat in magnetic field very precisely as a function of angle, which will bring even more insight into the nodal behavior of these fascinating superconductors.

At the moment, Stewart acts as a focal point in the experimental activity in this rapidly evolving field. This is of great benefit to his colleagues at UF, both experimental and theoretical.