Professor Yang’s research seeks to understand how quantum mechanics gives rise to novel properties in materials and how those properties can be harnessed for future electronic, photonic, and energy technologies.
His group combines fundamental physics, large-scale first-principles simulations, and artificial intelligence (AI) to investigate the electronic structure and excited-state behavior of solids and nanostructures through predictive, parameter-free approaches.
Using density functional theory (DFT), many-body perturbation theory (MBPT), and machine learning, the group explores central questions in modern materials physics: how electron–electron interactions govern excited states and linear and nonlinear optical responses; how quasiparticles, excitons, spin waves, and phonons interact to produce emergent phenomena; how reduced dimensionality and quantum confinement can be harnessed to engineer topological transport and energy-related functionalities; and how new quantum materials can be discovered and controlled to realize electrical and magnetic polarizations for next-generation transistors, memory, and quantum devices.
By combining fundamental discovery with predictive materials design, Professor Yang’s group aims to uncover new quantum phenomena, guide experiments, and accelerate the development of functional materials for future technologies.
Professional History
2020-present: Professor, Washington University
2015-2020: Associate Professor, Washington University
2009-2015: Assistant Professor, Washington University
2006-2009: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
Awards & Honors
2025 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS)
2017-2025 The Highly Cited Researchers List by Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science)
2015 The Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF)
