An interview with John Harris, the originator of the Harris functional in density functional theory (DFT), and one of the founders of Materials Design
John Harris and Erich Wimmer
Please join John Harris and Erich Wimmer for a lively discussion on the origins of density functional theory as we know it today, the development of materials simulation methods, and the founding of Materials Design.
John Harris is a theoretical physicist recognized for his influential contributions to the development of density functional theory (DFT), and for introducing the Harris functional, a widely referenced approach in computational chemistry and condensed matter physics.
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John's academic journey encompasses the University of Sheffield, the University of Toronto, and Jülich Research Center. John's work was the first to introduce a practical approximation that allows for the calculation of total energies using a reference electron density, rather than requiring full self-consistent field iterations. The approach is now known as the Harris functional. The Harris functional is often used as an external perturbation on a variationally obtained reference density, providing corrections to conventional DFT calculations. In addition to his work in DFT, John served as the director of BIOSYM Technologies' Electronic Optical and Magnetic Materials Consortium, and John was one of the pioneering founders of Materials Design.
John Harris is recognized for his unerring ability to simplify complex systems to create understanding. Please join John and Erich for a fascinating and thought provoking conversation!