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Nathaniel J. Huáng

Nathaniel J. Huáng

Senior scientist

Dr Nathaniel J. Huáng (黄健) is a person of science and technological innovation, a hands-on physicist taking immense joy in testing out theories and investigating novel phenomena in experiments, and in sharing research to advance knowledge and understanding. He is always curious, always passionate about new theoretical, experimental, and quantitative research to extend the frontiers of science and technology.

Born in Northeast China, Nathaniel received his BSc in Engineering Physics with First Class Honours from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2012, with a thesis on pulsed laser deposition and characterisation of ferroelectric thin films, under the supervision of Professor Helen L. W. Chan. He completed his DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Oxford in 2016, on magnetotransport studies on graphene and related two-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures at low temperatures and high magnetic fields, under the supervision of Professor Robin J. Nicholas. This was followed by his postdoctoral research in Oxford, focusing on high magnetic field effects on electronic, optical, and vibronic properties of macromolecules and their nanostructures, during which time he also designed and commissioned a magneto-optical measurement system which enabled various optical and optoelectronic measurements at high magnetic fields (up to 21 T) and low temperatures (down to 1.4 K).

At NPL, Nathaniel has led a broad portfolio of fundamental research, industrial R&D, and standardisation projects centred around low-dimensional (0D/1D/2D) condensed matter, including a wide range of nano-, meta- and quantum materials, building on active and robust national and international collaborations with universities, research institutes, businesses, and public bodies.

He is a principal investigator leading NPL’s effort in Quantum Light and Matter – developing and deploying advanced quantum optoelectronic metrology of UK’s national excellence, in particular on the nanoscale and at extreme conditions to investigate light-matter interaction and quantum transport properties in low-dimensional quantum materials and nanostructures (eg vdW materials and heterostructures, nanowires, quantum dots, topological nanostructures, nanophotonic metamaterials). The team use various experimental techniques such as scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM), UV-visible-IR-THz spectroscopy and nanoscopy (eg photoluminescence, photocurrent, Raman, absorption/reflection/transmission), including at low temperatures and high magnetic fields (eg magnetotransport and magneto-optics), both for advancing fundamental science and for fostering technological innovation in next-generation electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies.

Nathaniel serves as a member and expert of several national and international committees focusing on nano- and quantum technologies, including the British Standards Institution (BSI; in NTI/1 “Nanotechnologies” and ICT/4 “Quantum technologies”), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC; in TC 113 “Nanotechnology for electrotechnical products and systems” and SEG 14 “Quantum technologies”), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO; in TC 229 “Nanotechnologies” and ISO/IEC JTC 1/WG 14 “Quantum information technology”), and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN; in TC 352 “Nanotechnologies” and CLC/JTC 22 “Quantum technologies”). He is also a member of the Institute of Physics (MInstP), SPIE – the international society for optics and photonics, the UK Materials for Quantum Network (M4QN) and Metamaterials Network (MMN).

His peer-reviewed publications in condensed matter physics, quantum light & matter have been cited over 2,500 times.

Areas of interest

Nathaniel’s research has involved a wide range of topics in condensed matter physics, nano- and quantum technologies and materials. Key topics are:

  • Electronic and optical (incl. optoelectronic/nanophotonic/polaritonic/plasmonic) properties of low-dimensional/topological/quantum materials and metamaterials, for quantum technologies and metrology
  • Magneto-transport and magneto-optical studies of low-dimensional systems at cryogenic temperatures and ultrahigh magnetic fields
  • Advanced functional scanning probe nanoscopy and spectroscopy (eg s-SNOM)
  • Semiconductor nanostructures and nanodevices, novel micro/nano-fabrication and characterisation techniques
  • Renewable energy: photovoltaics based on organic, carbon, perovskite, 2D, and quantum materials

Beyond his main research, Nathaniel is also interested in:

  • Quantitative, statistical, and computational methods including artificial intelligence for basic and applied research
  • Interdisciplinary frontiers where physics meets other areas of sciences and technologies

Email Nathaniel J. Huáng

Selected publications:

  1. “Good Practice Guide on the electrical characterisation of graphene using non-contact and high-throughput methods”. A. Catanzaro, N. J. Huang, C. Melios, L. Hao, J. Gallop, I. Arnedo, D. Etayo, E. Taboada, A. Cultrera, and O. Kazakova. 16NRM01 EMPIR GRACE Consortium, 2020. Edited by A. Fabricius, A. Cultrera and A. Catanzaro. ISBN: 978-88-945324-2-5.
  2. “Towards standardisation of contact and contactless electrical measurements of CVD graphene at the macro-, micro- and nano-scale”. C. Melios, N. Huang, L. Callegaro, A. Centeno, A. Cultrera, A. Cordon, V. Panchal, I. Arnedo, A. Redo-Sanchez, D. Etayo, M. Fernandez, A. Lopez, S. Rozhko, O. Txoperena, A. Zurutuza, and O. Kazakova. Scientific Reports 10, 3223 (2020).
  3. “Multi-band magnetotransport in exfoliated thin films of CuxBi2Se3”. J. A. Alexander-Webber, J. Huang, J. Beilsten-Edmands, P. Čermák, Č Drašar, R. J. Nicholas, and A. I. Coldea. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 30, 155302 (2018).
  4. “Magnetotransport in graphene and related two-dimensional systems”. N. J. Huang. University of Oxford, 2016.
  5. “Giant quantum Hall plateaus generated by charge transfer in epitaxial graphene”. J. A. Alexander-Webber, J. Huang, D. K. Maude, T. J. B. M. Janssen, A. Tzalenchuk, V. Antonov, T. Yager, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, R. Yakimova, and R. J. Nicholas. Scientific Reports 6, 30296 (2016).
  6. “Structured organic-inorganic perovskite toward a distributed feedback laser”. M. Saliba, S. M.Wood, J. B. Patel, P. K. Nayak, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, B. Wenger, S. D. Stranks, M. T. Hörantner, J. T.-W. Wang, R. J. Nicholas, L. M. Herz, M. B. Johnston, S. M. Morris, H. J. Snaith, and M. K. Riede. Advanced Materials 28, 923 (2016).
  7. “Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells by Metal Ion Doping”. J. T.-W. Wang, Z. Wang, S. Pathak, W. Zhang, D. W. deQuilettes, F. Wisnivesky, J. Huang, P. Nayak, J. Patel, H. Yusof, Y. Vaynzof, R. Zhu, I. Ramirez, J. Zhang, C. Ducati, C. Grovenor, M. B. Johnston, D. S. Ginger, R. J. Nicholas, and Henry J. Snaith. Energy & Environmental Science 9, 2892 (2016).
  8. “Physics of a disordered Dirac point in epitaxial graphene from temperature-dependent magnetotransport measurements”. J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, A. M. R. Baker, T. J. B. M. Janssen, A. Tzalenchuk, V. Antonov, T. Yager, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, R. Yakimova, and R. J. Nicholas. Physical Review B 92, 075407 (2015).
  9. “Rapid epitaxy-free graphene synthesis on silicidated polycrystalline platinum”. V. Babenko, A. T. Murdock, A. A. Koós, J. Britton, A. Crossley, P. Holdway, J. Moffat, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, R. J. Nicholas, and N. Grobert. Nature Communications 6, 7536 (2015).
  10. “Hot carrier relaxation of Dirac fermions in bilayer epitaxial graphene”. J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, T. J. B. M. Janssen, A. Tzalenchuk, T. Yager, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, R. L. Myers-Ward, V. D. Wheeler, D. K. Gaskill, and R. J. Nicholas. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 27, 164202 (2015).
  11. “Engineering nanostructures by binding single molecules to single-walled carbon nanotubes”. J. J. Sharkey, S. D. Stranks, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, and R. J. Nicholas. ACS Nano 8, 12748 (2014).
  12. “Low-temperature processed electron collection layers of graphene/TiO2 nanocomposites in thin film perovskite solar cells”. J. T.-W. Wang, J. M. Ball, E. M. Barea, A. Abate, J. A. Alexander-Webber, J. Huang, M. Saliba, I. Mora-Sero, J. Bisquert, H. J. Snaith, and R. J. Nicholas. Nano Letters 14, 724 (2014).

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