Brief Vita

• Elizabeth M. Bains and James A. Bains Professor of Physics and Astronomy (February 2024 – Present)
• Professor, University of Tennessee (August 2023 – January 2024)
• Associate Professor, University of Tennessee (August 2014 – August 2023)
• Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee (January 2014 – July 2019)
• Max-Planck/UBC Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia (August 2012 – December 2013)
• Post Doctoral Researcher, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (July 2010 – June 2012)
• Visiting Researcher, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (September 2007 – June 2010)
• PhD, University of Waterloo (October 2006 – June 2010)
• Ms.c., University of Waterloo (September 2003 – October 2006)
• B. Eng. Physics, McMaster University (September 1998 – April 2003)

Research

My research interests lie in condensed matter physics with a focus on applying numerical methods to strongly correlated electrons, multi-orbital systems, and electron-boson interactions. I have a specific interest in studying high-temperature superconductivity in both the iron-pnictides and cuprates and developing new computational methods. My research often makes direct contact with spectroscopies (including angle-resolved photoemission, scanning tunneling microscopy, and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering) to unravel the meaning of results obtained using these complicated techniques. For further details, please visit my group’s web page.

Honors

• UT Graduate Physics Society Teacher of the Year (2025)
• UT College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Research and Creative Achievement Award–Mid-Career (2025)
• UT Graduate Physics Society Teacher of the Year (2023)
• UT Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Professional Promise (2020)
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2019)

Highlights

• Holmes and Johnston Win CAS Honors
• UT Physicists Share RIXS Potential for Novel Materials in PRX Perspectives
• Understanding Cuprates of All Stripes
• Steve Johnston Named Bains Professor
• Stealing Electrons and Reversing Time
• X-rays Reveal Electronic Details of Nickel-based Superconductors

For Prospective Students

I currently have positions available for highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students who are interested pursuing research in theoretical condensed matter physics and computational methods. If you are interested, please e-mail or call me.

Selected Recent Publications

1. M. Mitrano, S. Johnston, Y.-J. Kim, and M. P. M. Dean, Exploring Quantum Materials With Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering. Physical Review X 14, 040501 (2024).
2. J. Thomas, D. Banerjee, A. Nocera and S. Johnston Theory of electron-phonon interactions in extended correlated systems probed by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Physical Review X 15, 021030 (2025).
3. P. Mai, B. Cohen-Stead, T. A. Maier, and S. Johnston, Fluctuating charge-density-wave correlations in the three-band Hubbard model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121, e2408717121 (2024).
4. B. Cohen-Stead, S. Malkaruge Costa, J. Neuhaus, A. Tanjaroon Ly, Y. Zhang, R. Scalettar, K. Barros, and S. Johnston, SmoQyDQMC.jl: A flexible implementation of determinant quantum Monte Carlo for Hubbard and electron-phonon interactions. SciPost Phys. Codebases 29 (2024).
5. P. Mai, S. Karakuzu, N. S. Nichols, F. Bao, A. Del Maestro, Thomas A. Maier, and S. Johnston, Robust charge-density wave correlations in the electron-doped single-band Hubbard model. Nature Communications 14, 2889 (2023).
6. A. Tanjaroon Ly, B. Cohen-Stead, S. Malkaruge Costa, and S. Johnston, A comparative study of the superconductivity in the Holstein and optical Su–Schrieffer–Heeger models. Physical Review B 108, 184501 (2023). Selected as an Editors’ Choice.
7. F. Ming, X. Wu, C. Chen, K. D. Wang, P. Mai, T. A. Maier, J. Strockoz, J. W. F. Venderbos, C. Gonzalez, J. Ortega, S. Johnston, and H. H. Weitering, Evidence for chiral superconductivity on a silicon surface. Nature Physics 19, 500 (2023).
8. B. Cohen-Stead, K. Barros, R. Scalettar, and S. Johnston, &nbsp;<em>A hybrid Monte Carlo study of bond-stretching electron–phonon interactions and charge order in BaBiO₃. npj Computational Materials 9, 40 (2023).
9. Y. Shen, J. Sears, G. Fabbris, J. Li, J. Pelliciari, M. Mitrano, W. He, J. Zhang, J. F. Mitchell, V. Bisogni, M. R. Norman, S. Johnston, and M. P. M. Dean, Electronic character of charge order in square planar low valence nickelates<. Physical Review X 13, 011021 (2023).
10. J. Schlappa, U. Kumar, K. J. Zhou, S. Singh, M. Mourigal, V. N. Strocov, A. Revcolevschi, L. Patthey, H. M. Rønnow, S. Johnston, and T. Schmitt. Probing multi-spinon excitations outside of the two-spinon continuum in the antiferromagnetic spin chain cuprate Sr₂CuO₃. Nature Communications 9, 5394 (2018).

Please see my Google scholar profile for a complete list of publications.