J. M. Kosterlitz

J. M. Kosterlitz is a physicist renowned for his groundbreaking work on phase transitions in two-dimensional systems—like thin films or surfaces—where traditional theories didn't fully apply. Along with David Thouless, he developed insights into how certain materials change their properties at specific temperatures through the pairing and unpairing of vortex-like structures. This work, known as the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition, deepened our understanding of complex states of matter and earned him the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics. His contributions are fundamental to condensed matter physics and have influenced the development of new technologies, including superconductors and thin-film devices.