Yongtao Cui, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside

 

2026 Experimental Physics Investigator

Yongtao Cui, Ph.D.
Credit: Jingyuan Cui
 

Research Description

In atomically thin materials, electrons do not always behave as isolated particles. Under the right conditions, they can move together in coordinated patterns that give rise to unusual quantum states, including electron crystals and excitonic phases. Cui’s team is creating new ways to detect these collective behaviors by combining microwave spectroscopy, gated two-dimensional semiconductor devices, and scanning probe measurements. Then they will trace how the signals change across space, frequency, and experimental conditions to test for signs of quantum coherence.

Research Impact

Professor Cui’s work could give researchers a clearer way to identify and compare delicate collective quantum states that standard electrical and optical methods often miss. By showing how local microwave measurements can reveal when ordered phases appear, change, or lose coherence, the project may expand the tools available for studying two-dimensional quantum materials and help guide future efforts to build devices that make use of their collective behavior.

 
 

related links

Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative Science University of California, Riverside Department of Physics & Astronomy Back

Education

Ph.D., Cornell University 

B.S., Peking University

Affiliated Investigators