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Nathan Harshman Professor Department of Physics

Degrees
PhD, Theoretical Particle Physics, University of Texas at Austin
BS, Double major: Physics and English, Duke University

Bio
Professor Harshman pursues research in theoretical physics, focusing his studies on the intersection of quantum information theory and particle physics. Entanglement is a fundamental resource for many future quantum information processing applications like quantum computation and encryption, and Professor Harshman explores how to quantify and detect entanglement in composite particle systems such as molecules and atoms and fundamental particles like electrons and photons. He teaches across the physics curriculum from introductory courses to independent studies on advanced topics.
See Also
Physics Department
NASA DC Space Grant
Initiative on STEM Education, Equity and Ethics
Google Scholar profile
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Fall 2022

  • CORE-105 Complex Problems Seminar: What Is the Matter With Us?

Spring 2023

  • PHYS-351 Waves and Optics

  • PHYS-385 How Physicists Work

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

  • Teaching with Technology Award 2007; Center for Teaching Excellence, American University   
  • Cottrell College Science Award; Research Corporation, 2006-2008  
  • Fulbright Junior Lectureship; US State Department and Faculty of Physics, University of Trento, Spring 2006

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

X. M. Aretxabaleta, M. Gonchenko, N.L. Harshman, S.G. Jackson, M. Olshanii, G.E. Astrakharchik, “The dynamics of digits: Calculating pi with Galperin's billiards,” Mathematics 8, 509 (2020).

N.L. Harshman, A.C. Knapp, “Anyons from Three-Body Hard-Core Interactions in One Dimension,” Annals of Physics 412 (2020) 168003, arXiv: 1803.11000.

M. A. Garcia-March, N. L. Harshman, H. da Silva, T. Fogarty, Th. Busch, M. Lewenstein, A. Ferrando, “Graded-index optical fiber emulator of an interacting three-atom system: Classical nonseparability and illumination control of particle statistics,” Quantum 3 (2019), 210 (14 pages), arXiv: 1902.01748.

Popular Essays and Book Reviews

N.L. Harshman, “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (3 Ed.),” American Journal of Physics 87 (2019), 237.

Unsolvability in the Anthropocene by Nathan L. Harshman