Dr. Heike Pfau

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Heike Pfau is an Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University in the Department of Physics. Her research is primarily focused on materials with strong electronic correlations, where she aims to develop novel phenomena and understand unconventional electronic phases such as heavy fermion behavior, unconventional superconductivity, nematicity, and quantum criticality. Using techniques like angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), low-temperature transport, and thermodynamic probes, Pfau investigates emergent collective phenomena in correlated materials, particularly those containing transition metal and rare-earth elements, as well as heavy fermion systems and iron-based superconductors. Pfau has a robust academic background, having completed a Ph.D. in Physics at the Technical University of Dresden and the Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids. She has been a postdoctoral researcher at various prestigious institutions including Stanford University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She has received several awards for her research contributions, including the DFG Research Fellowship from the German Science Foundation and the Otto-Hahn Medal from the Max-Planck Society.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

— Present

Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA, USA

Faculty position focused on research in the Department of Physics.

Research Scientist

— Present

Stanford University SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory • Stanford, CA, USA

Conducting advanced research in condensed matter physics.

Postdoctoral Researcher

— Present

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • Berkeley, CA, USA

Engaged in research focusing on materials with strong electronic correlations.

Postdoctoral Researcher

— Present

Stanford University SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory • Stanford, CA, USA

Worked on research projects involving unconventional superconductivity.

Research Assistant

— Present

Max-Planck Institute Chemical Physics of Solids • Dresden, Germany

Assisted in research on physical properties of solid materials.

Awards

#

DFG Research Fellowship

#

Otto-Hahn Medal

#

Springer Thesis Award

#

Feodor-Lynen Fellowship

Requirements for Pennsylvania State University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:23
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7
GRE General
Prerequisites
Master's degree in related field for PhD Baccalaureate degree from accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Writing Sample
  • Official Transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE scores are highly recommended but not strictly required for Applied Linguistics.