Steven Johnson '95, PhD '01
Professor of Applied Mathematics and Physics
Studies the influence and design of complex geometries ("metamaterials") on wave phenomena.
Research Areas
Research Interests
- The influence of complex geometries (particularly in the nanoscale) on solutions of partial differential equations, especially for wave phenomena and electromagnetism — analytical theory, numerics, and design of devices and phenomena. (See, for example, photonic crystals.)
- High-performance computation, such as fast Fourier transforms, solvers for numerical electromagnetism, and large-scale optimization.
Biographical Sketch
I received my Ph.D. in physics from MIT in 2001, as well as BS degrees in physics, mathematics, and computer science from MIT in 1995, with post-doctoral positions at MIT and Harvard. My Ph.D. thesis was published as a book by Kluwer in 2002 (sans color, unfortunately); you can read the introduction online. I grew up in St. Charles, Illinois and attended high school at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA).
More info:
In the news

In the news
Researchers generate terahertz laser with laughing gas
Device may enable “T-ray vision” and better wireless communication.
Awards & Honors
- 2009 // Edmund F. Kelly Research Award, awarded every three years by the MIT Mathematics Department for outstanding research by a junior faculty member.
- 2008 // Ranked among top-10 most-cited authors in the field of “photonic crystals” by ScienceWatch.com (October 2008).
- 1999 // J. H. Wilkinson Prize for Numerical Software (for FFTW); Argonne Natl. Lab., National Physical Lab. (UK), and the Numerical Algorithms Group
- 1999 // Laurels Award in Electronics (for FFTW), Aviation Week & Space Technology, 1999.