I am a professor at the physics department of Nanjing University. I obtained my Ph.D. in the group of Prof. Bernhard Keimer at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (Germany), and was subsequently a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Maurits W. Haverkort at Heidelberg University (Germany).
Quantum many-body physics. We study strongly correlated quantum systems, where charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom interact to produce magnetism, charge order and superconductivity. We ask what stabilises these phases, how they compete and what excitations they support.
Numerical methods. We develop and apply numerical methods to calculate phase diagrams and excitation spectra. These include dynamical mean-field theory and its impurity solvers, the density-matrix renormalisation group (DMRG) and tensor networks, and machine-learning approaches such as neural quantum states built on modern deep-learning architectures.
Spectroscopy theory. We develop microscopic theories of spectroscopy to understand how quantum phases and their excitations appear in measured spectra. Our work covers a range of techniques, with a particular emphasis on resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS). We also collaborate with experimental groups to test theoretical predictions against measurements.
We study how oxygen defects drive a dual instability of superconductivity in La3Ni2O7+δ, providing insight into the sensitivity of nickelate superconductivity to structural disorder.
In collaboration with experimental groups, we report highly anisotropic charge dynamics in the trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10, revealing distinct behavior that sheds light on the electronic structure of this recently discovered material family.
In collaboration with experimental groups, we show that the charge-density-wave order and the associated correlated insulating state of 1T-TaS2 are strongly enhanced upon approaching the two-dimensional limit. Our calculations trace this enhancement to strengthened Coulomb interactions arising from reduced out-of-plane screening.
Together with experimental collaborators, we provide direct evidence for d-wave altermagnetism in La2O3Mn2Se2 using circularly polarized RIXS. The observed dichroism is a direct consequence of altermagnetic symmetry constraints, establishing RIXS as a probe of magnetic phases inaccessible to conventional techniques.
High-resolution RIXS at the Cu L3 edge reveals the formation of the superconducting gap in the overdoped cuprate Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ. Comparison with our calculations of the momentum-dependent charge susceptibility supports a d-wave symmetry of the gap.
Combining X-ray spectroscopies with theory, we resolve the distinct orbital contributions to the electronic and magnetic structure of the trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10, showing that the more itinerant dx²−y² states dominate the low-energy charge excitations.
In collaboration with experimental groups, we track how superconductivity emerges in (La,Pr)3Ni2O7−δ thin films as strain and oxygen content are tuned independently: the Ni 3dz² orbitals become increasingly itinerant while long-range spin-density-wave order collapses, pointing to orbital delocalization and the loss of magnetic coherence as the route to superconductivity.
RIXS measurements on superconducting bilayer nickelate thin films show that the in-plane dx²−y² states form an itinerant backbone, while superconductivity emerges only when coherent dz²–pz–dz² interlayer hybridization develops.
A comparative RIXS study of the trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10 and its bilayer counterpart reveals weaker electronic correlations and a reduced interlayer magnetic exchange in the trilayer compound, which together account for its substantially lower superconducting transition temperature.
I am currently looking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our group. Candidates with a background in condensed matter theory, computational physics, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Experience with tensor network methods, quantum chemistry, or machine learning for physics is a plus, but not required. If you are interested, please send me a CV and a brief description of your research interests by email. We also welcome undergraduate students joining us for internships. I can be reached at . Please note that I am unable to guarantee a reply to general inquiries not specific to our research.