Dr. Rafael Julián González Hernández

Dr. Rafael Julián González Hernández is a professor in the Department of Physics and Geosciences at Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla and a member of its Applied Physics Group. His research centers on theoretical condensed-matter physics, drawing on quantum mechanics, statistical physics and computational simulation to predict the optical, magnetic and electronic properties of materials without fabricating them. In 2024 he received the Walter Kohn Prize, awarded by the ICTP and the Quantum ESPRESSO Foundation, for his pioneering work on altermagnetism, an unconventional magnetic state, becoming the first South American researcher to earn it. He has also been a corresponding member of the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences since 2022. He earned his doctorate and master's degree in Physics at the National University of Colombia.