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Prof. Dr. Abbas Ali Saberi
Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics
Heisenberg Professorship
Heisenberg Professorship
School of Science
Phone number
+49 421 2003267
Email Address
asaberi@constructor.university
Office
Research III, Room 91
News & Opportunities
17–21 Aug 2026 — Mini-Workshop on "Multifractality at Criticality", Constructor University. [Workshop page]
Jun–Jul 2026 — Research visit to IMFP, Hefei National Lab, Hefei, China.
Open PhD Position:
Applications are invited for a PhD position in my research group at Constructor University, starting on September 1, 2026. The project will focus on equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical physics, with an emphasis on theoretical and computational approaches. The position is supported by a PhD stipend from the School of Science at Constructor University.
Applicants should have a strong background in theoretical and computational physics.
To apply, please send a CV and a cover letter describing your research interests to my email address. Please also arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent directly to the same address.
Research Interest
My research spans equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics, with a particular emphasis on percolation theory and random matrix theory. I use these frameworks to analyse the dynamical and spatial organisation of complex systems — from multifractal wavefunctions at criticality and directed polymers in disordered environments to transport phenomena, traffic flows, granular materials, global economic networks and climate variability on planetary scales.
A central theme is dimensional reduction in three-dimensional critical systems, such as Ising models and spin glasses, to effective two-dimensional descriptions, and the development of random matrix ensembles with long-range correlations that clarify how spectral densities respond to disorder and geometry. I am equally interested in bridging theory with experiment and data, for example by testing geometrical and percolation-based transitions in natural and lab-fabricated samples, and by formulating theoretical frameworks for electrical and thermal conduction in nanostructured and disordered materials. This work aims at a unified, data-informed view of correlated and chaotic media across classical and quantum settings.
Supervised Projects
- B.Sc. Theses: > 50
- M.Sc. Theses: 19
- Ph.D. Dissertations: 7
- Postdoctoral Projects: 8
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
Research highlights and honors (selection)
- DFG Heisenberg Fellowship (2025-present)
- Leadership of the Advanced Study Group at MPI-PKS (2024–2025).
- Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2016–2018).
- Research Associate Award by ICTP, Italy (2013–2019)
- Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni Award for "Outstanding Young Researcher in Physics" by the Academy of Sciences of Iran (2016)
- Khwarizmi Youth Research Award (national award in Iran, 2009).
- Multiple distinctions from the University of Tehran for research and teaching excellence (Distinguished Young Researcher, “Top Training Teacher”, “Popular Professor” awards) (2011-2022)
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)
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]