Quantum Materials researchers recognized for foundational work that established the field of Twistronics 

CIFAR researchers Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and Allan MacDonald , together with Eva Andrei, have been awarded the 2026 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for foundational work that established the field of Twistronics.

The Kavli Prize is among the world’s most prestigious scientific honours, recognizing breakthroughs that transform our understanding of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience. Jarillo-Herrero, MacDonald and Andrei were recognized for foundational work that established the field of Twistronics, which explores how twisting atomically thin materials can give rise to entirely new properties and behaviours.

Jarillo-Herrero and MacDonald have been longstanding members of CIFAR’s Quantum Materials program, which brings together leading researchers from around the world to advance a new era of discovery in which materials are created on demand and probed at unprecedented depth. 

MacDonald, an Advisor to CIFAR’s Quantum Materials program, becomes the first Canadian recipient of the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. As a theoretical physicist at the University of Texas at Austin and Advisor to the Quantum Materials program, he has played a pivotal role in developing the theoretical framework underpinning Twistronics. 

“It is wonderful to have the field in which I have worked most of my life recognized by this very visible prize,” said MacDonald. “I find my field – materials physics, or as we like to say now, quantum materials – charming because it is full of surprises.” 

He also credits CIFAR with helping establish Canada as a global hub for quantum materials research.

“Canada became one of the three or four leading hubs worldwide for research on this important topic thanks to the CIFAR program in Quantum Materials. It wouldn’t have happened without CIFAR,” added MacDonald. “All this was accomplished just by asking ‘what would happen if …’ and trying to learn the answer without any specific goal in mind.”

Jarillo-Herrero, a Fellow in the Quantum Materials program and a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, helped translate these ideas into experimental reality. His groundbreaking studies of twisted graphene revealed novel quantum phenomena, including superconductivity.

“This award recognizes basic science research in nanoscience,” said Jarillo-Herrero. “Our research is curiosity-driven and it was a very big risk, with no guarantee of success. But taking risks means the rewards can also be very high, and it is this type of impactful research that organizations like CIFAR should strive to support.”

[draft quote] “I am delighted to congratulate Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Allan MacDonald and Eva Andrei on receiving the 2026 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience,” says Stephen J. Toope, President and CEO of CIFAR. “This is a well-deserved recognition of their groundbreaking work. It is especially meaningful to see Pablo and Allan, members of our CIFAR research community, recognized globally for their contributions and impact in the field of quantum materials research.”

The Kavli Prize is awarded every two years by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, in partnership with The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and The Kavli Foundation.