Klco Receives Kenneth G. Wilson Award for Excellence in Lattice Field Theory

Natalie Klco, an assistant professor of physics at Duke University, has received the 2026 Kenneth G. Wilson Award for Excellence in Lattice Field Theory for her foundational research applying quantum information science to nuclear and subatomic particle physics.

Klco, a senior investigator in the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (RQS) and member of the Duke Quantum Center, received the award during the 43rd International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory at the University of Maryland (UMS). The honor was presented by Zohreh Davoudi, a physics professor at UMD and RQS co-principal investigator who chaired the conference’s organizing committee.

The annual Kenneth G. Wilson  award is among the most prestigious international recognitions for early-career researchers in computational quantum field theory. It honors the legacy of 1982 Physics Nobel Laureate Kenneth G. Wilson, whose formulation of lattice gauge theory transformed theoretical physics by enabling scientists to use supercomputers to study the fundamental particles and forces governing the universe.

Today, Klco is building upon Wilson’s foundations by developing algorithms and theoretical models that map complex subatomic physics onto emerging quantum hardware—laying the groundwork for real-time quantum simulations that remain far beyond the reach of today’s most powerful classical supercomputers.

“There is a deeply intertwined relationship between physics and computation that is at the heart of the lattice community,” Klco said. “By understanding the capabilities and limitations of different technologies in simulating fundamental physical processes, we gain appreciation for the beautifully complex ways that Nature processes information.”

Her award-winning research includes creating algorithms that drastically reduce the computing power needed to simulate particle interactions, modeling how subatomic forces evolve over time on quantum devices, and revealing how information and entanglement are naturally structured within physical fields.

The 43rd International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory was sponsored by UMD’s Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics (MCFP), College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS), Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS).

—News brief adapted from articles by the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University and the QLab