Yuan Cao

Research Areas

Biography

Yuan Cao is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science starting July 2024. He obtained bachelor's degree at University of Science and Technology of China in 2014, and master's degree and Ph.D. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2016 and 2020 respectively. From 2021 to 2024, he served as a Junior Fellow at Harvard University, before joining Berkeley as faculty.

His primary research interest is in the electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of low-dimensional materials, and how to engineer these properties and find applications for them using cross-disiplinary approaches including nanotechnology, metamaterials, and microelectricalmechanical systems (MEMS).

Cao received numerous award and prizes for his contribution in physics. In 2018, his research on superconductivity in twisted graphene was at the top of 'Nature's 10' list as well as the 'Physics Breakthrough of the Year'. He is subsequently awarded with 'TIME 100 Next for rising stars' in 2019, Sackler Prize in Physics in 2020, McMillan Award in 2021, and Richard L. Greene Dissertation Award in 2022.

Prof. Cao is constantly looking for highly self-motivated perspective graduate student and postdoctoral researchers in the field of 2D materials, low-temperature electrical transport, optoelectronics, nanophotonics, MEMS and related fields. Researchers with deep interest in experimental physics and nanofabrication experiences are especially welcome.

Education

  • 2020, PhD, Electrical Engineering, MIT
  • 2016, MS, Electrical Engineering, MIT
  • 2014, BSc, Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology of China

Selected Publications

  • Y. Cao, J. M. Park, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, and P. Jarillo-Herrero, "Pauli-limit violation and re-entrant superconductivity in moiré graphene," Nature, vol. 595, no. 7868, pp. 526--531, July 2021.
  • D. Rodan-Legrain, Y. Cao, J. M. Park, S. C. de la Barrera, M. T. Randeria, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, and P. Jarillo-Herrero, "Highly tunable junctions and non-local Josephson effect in magic-angle graphene tunnelling devices," Nature Nanotechnology, vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 769--775, May 2021.
  • Y. Cao, D. Rodan-Legrain, J. M. Park, N. F. Yuan, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, R. M. Fernandes, L. Fu, and P. Jarillo-Herrero, "Nematicity and competing orders in superconducting magic-angle graphene," science, vol. 372, no. 6539, pp. 264--271, April 2021.
  • Y. Cao, V. Fatemi, S. Fang, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, E. Kaxiras, and P. Jarillo-Herrero, "Unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle graphene superlattices," Nature, vol. 556, no. 7699, pp. 43--50, March 2018.

Awards, Memberships and Fellowships