Fan Zhang

Postdoc - Physics
University of Pennsylvania - 2014

Ph.D. - Physics
University of Texas at Austin - 2011

B.S. - Physics
University of Science and Technology of China - 2006

Polarization detection in miniature 2024 - Journal Article

Ferroelectric and spontaneous quantum Hall states in intrinsic rhombohedral trilayer graphene 2024 - Journal Article

Quantum octets in high mobility pentagonal two-dimensional PdSe2 2024 - Journal Article

Giant Tunability of Intersubband Transitions and Quantum Hall Quartets in Few-Layer InSe Quantum Wells 2024 - Journal Article

Large quantum anomalous Hall effect in spin-orbit proximitized rhombohedral graphene 2024 - Journal Article

Self-consistent theory of fractional quantum anomalous Hall states in rhombohedral graphene 2024 - Journal Article

Evidence for Dirac flat band superconductivity enabled by quantum geometry 2023 - Journal Article

Ideal weak topological insulator and protected helical saddle points 2023 - Journal Article

Humboldt Research Award - The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany [2024]

CAREER Award - The U.S. National Science Foundation [2020]

Quantum Geometry Found To Be Newest Twist in Superconductivity

Scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas and their collaborators at The Ohio State University have identified a new mechanism that gives rise to superconductivity in a material in which the speed of electrons is nearly zero, potentially opening a pathway to the design of new superconductors.

Their findings, published online Feb. 15 in the journal Nature, demonstrate a new way to measure electron speed and mark the first time that quantum geometry has been identified as the predominant contributing mechanism to superconductivity in any material.

The material the researchers studied is twisted bilayer graphene. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged periodically in a honeycomb pattern. In twisted bilayer graphene, two sheets of graphene are stacked on top of one another with a slight angular twist. In principle, at a certain “magic” twist angle, the speed of electrons in the material approaches zero, said Dr. Fan Zhang, associate professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UT Dallas and an author of the study. Zhang, a theorist, and his collaborators previously published a review article about the unique physical properties of such systems.

Physicists Invent Intelligent Quantum Sensor of Light Waves

University of Texas at Dallas physicists and their collaborators at Yale University have demonstrated an atomically thin, intelligent quantum sensor that can simultaneously detect all the fundamental properties of an incoming light wave.

The research, published April 13 in the journal Nature, demonstrates a new concept based on quantum geometry that could find use in health care, deep-space exploration and remote-sensing applications.

“We are excited about this work because typically, when you want to characterize a wave of light, you have to use different instruments to gather information, such as the intensity, wavelength and polarization state of the light. Those instruments are bulky and can occupy a significant area on an optical table,” said Dr. Fan Zhang, a corresponding author of the study and associate professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Physicists Discover Novel Quantum Effect in Bilayer Graphene

Theorists at The University of Texas at Dallas, along with colleagues in Germany, have for the first time observed a rare phenomenon called the quantum anomalous Hall effect in a very simple material. Previous experiments have detected it only in complex or delicate materials.

Dr. Fan Zhang, associate professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, is an author of a study published on Oct. 6 in the journal Nature that demonstrates the exotic behavior in bilayer graphene, which is a naturally occurring, two-atom thin layer of carbon atoms arranged in two honeycomb lattices stacked together.

High-Quality Crystals Reveal New Physics of Topological Insulators

Combining exceptional crystal-growing skills with theoretical predictions, the University of Texas at Dallas scientists and their collaborators have revealed new insights into materials called topological insulators.

Topological insulators (TIs) behave like insulators in their interiors but are conductors on their exteriors. There are distinctive families of topological insulators: strong TIs, which are common in nature; weak TIs, which are rare and difficult to produce in the lab; and another rare class called higher-order TIs.

 In a cube-shaped, strong topological insulator, for example, all six faces can conduct electrons robustly. In a weak TI, only four sides are conducting, while the top and bottom surfaces remain insulating. In a higher-order TI, electrons move only along selected hinges, where two crystal faces intersect. 

Scientist To Delve Deep into Quantum Physics with NSF CAREER Award

Dr. Fan Zhang, associate professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at The University of Texas at Dallas, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award for his research in the complex realm of quantum physics.

The five-year grant will support Zhang’s theoretical work and education outreach on the fundamental physics of topological superconductivity.

Zhang’s research builds on the science of topological insulators, which are materials that behave like insulators in their interiors but are conductors on their exteriors. His NSF project involves investigating the topological properties of superconductors — materials in which, below a certain critical temperature, electrical resistance vanishes and magnetic fields are expelled.