Abrahams’ research is in theoretical condensed matter physics. His main interests concern the quantum-mechanical many-body problem in the presence of very strong particle-particle interactions. In this area, he has been using the techniques of quantum statistical mechanics and field theory to investigate the phase transitions and the transport and thermodynamic properties of a number of systems, including high-temperature cuprate superconductors, metals at the threshold of breakdown of Fermi-liquid behavior, iron pnictide superconductors, heavy-fermion metals, localized spins in metals, magnets with unusual spin correlations, and the disordered interacting electron fluid in two dimensions.
