Zhi-Xun Shen

What is the nature of quantum matter? How does complexity give rise to unusual and extreme properties? How can we best utilize these properties?

Professor Shen conducts fundamental and applied research on quantum matter. His primary interest is the physics of the “many”, where interactions among multiple constituencies give rise to novel properties not intrinsic to the individual components. His interest also includes ways to utilize the functionality of materials.

He sends electromagnetic waves to probe matter, including X-ray, ultra-violet, and microwave radiation from synchrotron, free-electron laser, and laboratory sources. Insights are gained through precision analysis of ejected particles, either photons or electrons. He also prepares materials and devices for his studies.

His group has developed novel spectroscopy and imaging tools, notably high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy which has emerged as a leading experimental tool for condensed matter physics, and enabled his group to discover the anisotropic energy gaps in the d-wave pairing state as well as in the mysterious “pseudogap” state of high temperature superconductors. Recently, his group has developed a UHV thin film growth system to prepare samples for in-situ photoemission investigation.

Over the last decade, his group has developed time-resolved photoemission and soft x-ray scattering, as well as novel microwave impedance microscopy capabilities. In particular, the time-resolved soft x-ray scattering capability utilized the world first x-ray free electron laser, LCLS.

Recently, his group has developed new device concepts and related materials for solar energy harvesting, as well as heat management.

Current areas of focus:

- Unconventional superconductors
- Strongly correlated materials
- Diamondoid and Nano-structured diamond
- X-ray techniques and novel light sources
- Modern photoelectron spectroscopy – energy, momentum, spin, and time resolution
- Laser and microwave spectroscopy and imaging
- Application of novel materials

Career History

• Ph.D., 1989, Stanford University;
• M.S., 1985, Rutgers University;
• B.S., 1983, Fudan University.

• Research Associate, Stanford Univeristy, 1989-90;
• Acting Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 1991-92;
• Assistant Professor of Applied Physics and SSRL, 1991-96;
• Associate Professor of Physics, Applied Physics and SSRL, 1996-2000;
• Professor of Physics, Applied Physics and SSRL ( Electrical Engineering by courtesy) 2000 to present.

• Sloan Research Fellow, 1993; NSF Young Investigator Award, 1993;
• Outstanding Young Researcer Award, Overseas Chinese Physics Association, 1993;
• Materials Science Research Award for Outstanding Scientifiec Accomplishment in SSP, DOE, 1994;
• Kammerlingh Onnes Prize (for outstanding experiments which illuminate the nature of superconductivity), 2000;
• Takeda Foundation Technical Entrepreneurship Award, 2002 (for development of microwave impedance microscopy);
• American Physical Society Fellow, 2002;
• Paul Pigott Professorship in the Physical Sciences, 2006;
• DOE's E.O. Lawrence Award, 2009 (for ground breaking discoveries and pioneering use of high resolution angle-resolved photoemission to advance understanding of strongly correlated electron systems including high-transition temperature superconductors and other complex oxides);
• American Physical Society's Oliver E. Buckley Prize, 2011 (for innovations in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, which advanced the understanding of the cuprate superconductors, and transformed the study of strongly-correlated electronic systems).