Bolin Liao

Bolin Liao serves as Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he leads the Transport for Energy Applications Laboratory (TEALab). His research bridges fundamental nanoscale energy transport phenomena with practical sustainable energy technologies.

His work focuses on three synergistic domains: Ultrafast Spectroscopy/Microscopy using techniques like SUEM and TDTR to probe subpicosecond photophysical processes; First-Principles Transport Simulation modeling energy carrier dynamics in nanostructures; and Applied Clean Energy Systems developing thermal/solar harvesting devices. Key research areas include topological thermoelectrics, perovskite photovoltaics, and nanoscale carrier dynamics in semiconductors.

Recent publications reveal strong trends in quantum transport phenomena and defect engineering for energy conversion. The 2024-2023 work emphasizes topological materials for thermoelectrics and ion migration mechanisms in perovskites, while the 2017 Nature Nanotechnology study established foundational insights into charge separation in amorphous silicon – collectively demonstrating consistent focus on manipulating energy carriers at fundamental scales for clean energy applications.

TEALab maintains an active recruitment pipeline for postdocs, graduate students (particularly from mechanical engineering, materials science, and physics backgrounds), undergraduates, and visiting scholars. The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and publication of research outcomes, with current projects spanning experimental characterization, computational modeling, and prototype development for carbon-reduction technologies.