Abbas Ali Saberi

I received my Ph.D. in Physics from Sharif University of Technology in 2008. Thereafter, I held a postdoctoral position at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM) in Tehran, followed by a second postdoctoral appointment at the University of Cologne in collaboration with Prof. Martin Zirnbauer. In 2011, I was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Tehran, where I was promoted to Full Professor in 2023. From 2016 to 2018, I was honored to receive the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship.

Since 2022, I have been affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (MPIPKS) as a guest scientist. I currently lead the Advanced Study Group on Strongly Correlated Extreme Fluctuations (July 2024 – October 2025), a collaborative initiative involving prominent researchers such as Mehran Kardar (MIT), Jürgen Kurths (PIK), and Martin Zirnbauer (University of Cologne). The group brings together pioneering scientists to explore fundamental aspects of complex systems governed by strong correlations and extreme fluctuations.

My research spans a broad range of topics in equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics, with a particular emphasis on percolation theory and random matrix theory. These frameworks are applied to describe the dynamic and spatial properties of complex systems — from multifractal stationary wavefunctions at criticality, to global economic patterns, climate variability at planetary scale, directed polymers in disordered environments, transport phenomena, traffic flows and granular materials.

Recent work has deepened our understanding of dimensional reduction in three-dimensional critical systems — such as Ising models and spin glasses — into effective two-dimensional representations. I have also contributed to the theoretical foundations of how spectral densities in random matrix ensembles respond to long-range correlations, addressing a long-standing problem in the field. These insights have opened new avenues for studying both classical and quantum systems across a variety of correlated media.

I maintain a strong interest in bridging theory with experiment and data. In recent years, I have actively collaborated with experimentalists to test concepts such as geometrical transitions using both naturally occurring and lab-fabricated samples. I am also engaged in developing theoretical frameworks that contribute to a better understanding of electrical and thermal conductivity in nanostructured materials. I value interdisciplinary exchange and am always open to collaborative opportunities with experimental groups and data-driven researchers.

Links

• Google Scholar Profile
• Advanced Study Group @ MPIPKS

Teaching Experience

• Undergraduate Courses: Introductory Physics I & II, Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics
• Graduate Courses: Advanced Quantum Mechanics I & II, Advanced Statistical Physics, Stochastic Processes, Special Topics in Physics, Conformal Field Theory

Supervised Projects

• B.Sc. Theses: > 50
• M.Sc. Theses: 19
• Ph.D. Dissertations: 7
• Postdoctoral Projects: 8

Book Chapter

• Application of Percolation Theory to Statistical Topographies, in: Meyers R. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Complexity and Systems Science, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg (2020) [Book Chapter]

Selected Publications

• Emergence of Rigidity Percolation in Flowing Granular Systems, Science Advances Vol 9, Issue 35 (2023)
• Unified modeling and experimental realization of electrical and thermal percolation in polymer composites, Applied Physics Reviews 9, 041403 (2022) [Featured Article]
• Universal Gap Scaling in Percolation, Nature Physics 16, 526–530 (2020)
• Evidence for an ancient sea level on Mars, ApJL 896, L25 (2020) [AAS News Feature]
• Competing universalities in KPZ growth models, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 040605 (2019) [Cover Highlight]
• Recent advances in percolation theory and its applications, Physics Reports 578 (2015) [Highly cited]
• Percolation description of the global topography of Earth and the Moon, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 178501 (2013) [Cover Highlight]
• Three-dimensional Ising model Percolation Theory and Conformal Invariance, Euro. Phys. Lett. 92, 67005 (2010)

Honors and Awards

10. Leadership of the Advanced Study Group at MPI-PKS (2024–2025).

9. Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship Award (2016–2018)
Host: Prof. Martin Zirnbauer, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Cologne, Germany

8. Research Associate Award by ICTP, Italy (2013–2019)

7. Selected as a "Distinguished Young Researcher" at the 29th Research and Technology Festival, University of Tehran (December 2020)

6.Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni Award for "Outstanding Young Researcher in Physics" by the Academy of Sciences of Iran (2016)

5. Selected as "Top Training Teacher" of the 3rd Education Festival, University of Tehran (2016)

4. Elected annually as a member of the "Scientific Elite Federation" (ISEF) (2015–Present)

3. Voted as “Popular Professor” by students of the Physics Department, University of Tehran (2014–2015)

2. Distinguished International Researcher of the Year, University of Tehran (2014)

1. The Khwarizmi Youth Research Award — selected nationwide (2009)