Director of CNPEM’s Nanotechnology Unit is elected American Physical Society Fellow

Distinction recognizes Rodrigo Capaz for contributions to condensed matter physics and nanoscience, as well as work to strengthen international collaboration in science

The physicist Rodrigo Capaz, director of the Nanotechnology Unit at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), one of the world’s leading scientific organizations in the field of physics.

The recognition highlights Capaz’s contributions to condensed matter physics and nanoscience, which include advances in carbon nanotubes and two-dimensional materials, as well as his leadership in building international scientific collaborations and strengthening the global physics community.

“This recognition is very rewarding, especially since most of my career has been in Brazil. I also think it is important to signal, at a time when we are experiencing a brain drain, to a certain extent, that it is possible to conduct high-quality research in physics in this country,” says Capaz.

His election was approved by the APS Council of Representatives at its September 2026 meeting, on the recommendation of the International Physics Forum (FIP). The title of fellow is awarded in recognition of contributions to the advancement of

physics. The annual number of nominees may not exceed 0.5% of the number of members in the society (excluding students).

Rodrigo Capaz’s scientific work focuses on the study of graphene, two-dimensional materials, carbon nanotubes and semiconductors. This work uses theoretical methods and computational simulations to investigate the properties of matter at the atomic scale, in dialog with experimental research.

He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), and completed his doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1996. He is a senior professor in the Department of Physics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and was a visiting researcher at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States.

As the director of CNPEM’s Nanotechnology Unit since 2021, he coordinates the National Institute of Science and Technology in Quantum Devices (INCT-DQ), which is based at CNPEM. He was president of the Brazilian Physical Society (SBF) from 2023 to 2025, after serving as its vice president from 2021 to 2023. Since 2025, he has been part of the APS Council of Representatives as an international advisor, with his term extending until December 2028.

Capaz is also a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, since 2023. The distinctions he has received throughout his career include a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003 and the TWAS-ROLAC Young Scientist Prize in the field of physics in 2009.

“My projects on carbon nanotubes and 2D materials such as graphene have brought me the most recognition, and I am very pleased that the APS’s citation also highlights my performance in scientific management and representation. I believe that my work as director of CNPEM’s Nanotechnology Unit contributed to this recognition. Today, along with managing the unit, I coordinate the INCT for Quantum Devices and a FAPESP Thematic Project on 2D materials. I see many possibilities at the frontier where these materials and quantum devices meet, and I believe that CNPEM has a lot to contribute in this area,” adds Capaz.