Assistant Professor
Physics

Yuan Zhang

757-683-5851
Yuan Zhang Research Group Website

213 OCEANOGRAPHY & PHYSICS BLDG
NORFOLK VA 23529

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

Elsayed-Ali, H., Zhang, Y., Namkoong, G., Marsillac, S. and Schenkel, T. "MRI: Development of a Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer Using a Laser Multicharged Ion Source" $610,000. Federal. September 2022 - August 2027
Zhang, Y. "LEAPS-MPS" $250,000. Federal. July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026
Grau, M. C. and Zhang, Y. "Summer Research Experience for Undergraduate Students: Exploring NV-Center Quantum Sensing" $7,400. State. February 2024 - December 2024
Grau, M. C., Zhang, Y., Rogers, T. and Briceno, R. "Creating a New Introductory Class: How to Research" $10,200. Old Dominion University. September 2022 - May 2023
Zhang, Y. "Seeking Superlubricity at Single Molecule Level on Graphene Derivatives Material" $11,650. Private. June 2021 - May 2022

Expertise

Physics
Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy; qPlus Atomic Force Microscopy; Condense Matter Physics; Atomic Scale Mechanics and Friction; Molecular Machine; Material Discovery; Physical Chemistry

Articles

Wijerathna, A., Zirnheld, M., Zhao, H., Hildebrand, H., Antonelli, D., Li, R., Wang, P., Li, Y. and Zhang, Y. (2026). Fabrication of Graphene Nanoribbons / Organic Molecules Interface. Applied Materials Today 50 (103249).
Zhao, H., Wijerathna, A., Dong, Q., Bai, Q., Jiang, Z., Yuan, J., Wang, J., Chen, M., Zirnheld, M., Li, R., Wang, P., Zhang, Y. and Li, Y. (2024). Adjusting the Architecture of Heptagonal Metallo-Macrocycles by Embedding Metal Nodes into the Backbone. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 136 (6).
Trainer, D., Srinivasan, S., Fisher, B., Zhang, Y., Pfeiffer, C., Hla, S., Darancet, P. and Guisinger, N. (2022). Artificial Graphene Nanoribbons: A Test Bed for Topology and Low-Dimensional Dirac Physics. ACS Nano 16 , pp. 16085-16090.
Zhang, Y., Trainer, D. J., Narayanan, B., Li, Y., Ngo, A. T., Khadka, S., Neogi, A., Fisher, B., Curtiss, L. A., Sankaranarayanan, S. KRS. and Hla, S. Wai. (2021). One-dimensional lateral force anisotropy at the atomic scale in sliding single molecules on a surface. Nano Letters 21 , pp. 6391-6397.
Li, Y., Huo, G., Liu, B., Song, B., Zhang, Y., Qian, X., Wang, H., Yin, G., Filosa, A., Sun, W., Hla, S. Wai., Yang, H. and Li, X. (2020). Giant Concentric Metallosupramolecule with Aggregation-Induced Phosphorescent Emission. Journal of the American Chemical Society 142 (34) , pp. 14638-14648.
Zhang, Z., Li, Y., Song, B., Zhang, Y., Jiang, X., Wang, M., Trumbleson, R., Liu, C., Wang, P., Hao, X., Rojas, T., Ngo, A. T.., Sessler, J. L.., Newkome, G. R.., Hla, S. Wai. and Li, X. (2020). Intra- and intermolecular self-assembly of a 20-nm-wide supramolecular hexagonal grid. Nature Chemistry 12 (5) , pp. 468-474.
Wang, L., Song, B., Li, Y., Gong, L., Jiang, X., Wang, M., Lu, S., Hao, X., Xia, Z., Zhang, Y., Hla, S. Wai. and Li, X. (2020). Self-Assembly of Metallo-Supramolecules under Kinetic or Thermodynamic Control: Characterization of Positional Isomers Using Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society 142 (21) , pp. 9809-9817.
Li, Z., Li, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, H., Zhang, Y., Song, B., Li, X., Lu, S., Hao, X., Hla, S., Tu, Y. and Li, X. (2020). Synthesis of Metallopolymers and Direct Visualization of the Single Polymer Chain. Journal of the American Chemical Society 142 (13) , pp. 6196-6205.
Zhang, Y., Calupitan, J. Patrick., Rojas, T., Tumbleson, R., Erbland, G., Kammerer, C., Ajayi, T. Michael., Wang, S., Curtiss, L. A.., Ngo, A. T.., Ulloa, S. E.., Rapenne, G. and Hla, S. Wai. (2019). A chiral molecular propeller designed for unidirectional rotations on a surface. Nature Communications 10 , pp. 3742.
Wang, H., Li, Y., Yu, H., Song, B., Lu, S., Hao, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, M., Hla, S. and Li, X. (2019). Combining Synthesis and Self-Assembly in One Pot To Construct Complex 2D Metallo-Supramolecules Using Terpyridine and Pyrylium Salts. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 141 (33) , pp. 13187-13195.
Luican-Mayer, A., Zhang, Y., DiLullo, A., Li, Y., Fisher, B., Ulloa, S. E.. and Hla, S. (2019). Negative differential resistance observed on the charge density wave of a transition metal dichalcogenide. NANOSCALE 11 (46) , pp. 22351-22358.
Paulauskas, T., Sen, F. G.., Sun, C., Longo, P., Zhang, Y., Hla, S. Wai., Chan, Maria K. Y., Kim, M. J.. and Klie, R. F.. (2019). Stabilization of a monolayer tellurene phase at CdTe interfaces. NANOSCALE 11 (31) , pp. 14698-14706.
Trainer, D. J.., Zhang, Y., Bobba, F., Xi, X., Hla, S. and Iavarone, M. (2019). The Effects of Atomic-Scale Strain Relaxation on the Electronic Properties of Monolayer MoS2. ACS NANO 13 (7) , pp. 8284-8291.
Hu, Y., Zhong, G., Guan, Y., Lee, N. Hoon., Zhang, Y., Li, Y., Mitchell, T., Armstrong, J. N.., Benedict, J., Hla, S. and Ren, S. (2019). Alkali‐Metal‐Intercalated Percolation Network Regulates Self‐Assembled Electronic Aromatic Molecules. Advanced Materials 31 (11) , pp. 1807178.
Zhang, Y., Wang, S., Braun, K. and Hla, S. (2018). Molecular flexure and atom trapping with sexiphenyl molecules by scanning tunneling microscope manipulation. SURFACE SCIENCE 678 , pp. 215-221.
Niederhausen, J., Zhang, Y., Kabeer, F. Cheenicode., Garmshausen, Y., Schmidt, B. M.., Li, Y., Braun, K., Hecht, S., Tkatchenko, A., Koch, N. and Hla, S. (2018). Subtle Fluorination of Conjugated Molecules Enables Stable Nanoscale Assemblies on Metal Surfaces. JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C 122 (33) , pp. 18902-18911.
Chang, H., Shirato, N., Zhang, Y., Hoffman, J., Rosenmann, D., Freeland, J. W.., Bhattacharya, A., Rose, V. and Hla, S. (2018). X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure of buried interfacial magnetism measured by using a scanning tunneling microscope tip. Applied Physics Letters 113 (6) , pp. 061602.
Zhang, Y., Kersell, H., Stefak, R., Echeverria, J., Iancu, V., Perera, U. G.., Li, Y., Deshpande, A., Braun, K., Joachim, C., Rapenne, G. and Hla, S. (2016). Simultaneous and coordinated rotational switching of all molecular rotors in a network. Nature Nanotechnology 11 (8) , pp. 706-712.
Perera, U. G.., Ample, F., Kersell, H., Zhang, Y., Vives, G., Echeverria, J., Grisolia, M., Rapenne, G., Joachim, C. and Hla, S. (2013). Controlled clockwise and anticlockwise rotational switching of a molecular motor. Nature Nanotechnology 8 (1) , pp. 46-51.

Conference Proceeding

Li, R., Guenthner, R. and Zhang, Y. (2024). A Physics-Informed Gaussian Mixture Neural Network to Extract Atomic Signals from Scanning Tunneling Microscope Images 2024 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference.
Li, R., Wijerathna, S. and Zhang, Y. (2024). Super-Resolution Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Images Using U-NET Proceedings of ODU 17th Annual Modeling, Simulation, and Visualization Student Capstone Conference.
Li, R., Wijerathna, S. and Zhang, Y. (2023). Breaking the Limits of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Using Image Super Resolution (pp. 1138-1143) 2023 International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications.
Li, R., Cenese, M. and Zhang, Y. (2023). Image Super Resolution for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy 2023 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference.
  • 2023: 2023 College of Sciences Tenure Track Distinguished Teaching Award, College of Science, Old Dominion University
  • 2022: 2022 82nd Physical Electronics Conference Travel Award, Forum for Early Career Scientists (FECS), American Physical Society (APS)

Organizational Chart

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