Binghai Yan

Binghai Yan is a Professor of Physics at Pennsylvania State University, part of the Eberly College of Science. His research focuses on quantum materials, topological materials, and computational materials theory, with a particular emphasis on chirality-driven phenomena and nonlinear transport. He holds a B.S. from Xi’an Jiaotong University (1999–2003) and a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University (2003–2008).

**Education:**

• B.S. in Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China (1999–2003)
• Ph.D. in Physics, Tsinghua University, China (2003–2008)

**Research Highlights:**

• Quantum materials and topological phases
• Mechanisms of chirality-driven spin selectivity and charge transport
• Computational modeling of electronic structures in 2D and topological materials
• Nonlinear transport phenomena in metals and antiferromagnets

His work bridges theory and experiment, with recent breakthroughs in observing quantum metric effects in topological antiferromagnets and magnetochiral charge pumping in chiral materials. His research has led to discoveries such as the even-integer quantum Hall effect in oxides and large magnetoresistance in Weyl semimetals like NbP.

**Awards:**

• Humboldt Fellowship (2008)
• ARCHES Prize (2013)
• IPS Young Scientist Prize (2017)
• Morris L. Levinson Prize (2019)
• ERC Consolidator Grant (2019)
• Highly Cited Researcher (2019–2024)

**Grants & Teams:**

• Led a group at the Max Planck Institute (2012–2016)
• Recipient of multiple international grants, including ERC funding
• Collaborates with experimental groups globally to validate theoretical predictions

He is affiliated with the Department of Physics at Penn State, where his lab focuses on computational materials theory and topological quantum phenomena.