Diana Qiu

Diana Qiu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Materials Science and the Applied Physics program at Yale University's School of Engineering & Applied Science. Her research focuses on quantum materials, computational methods, and light-matter interactions, with applications in optoelectronics, quantum information, and energy technologies.

Research Interests: Dr. Qiu's work centers on understanding and controlling quantum excitations in materials through first-principles calculations. Her group develops and applies quantum many-body theories to predict electronic, optical, and excitonic properties of novel materials. Key areas include 2D materials, hybrid perovskites, topological systems, and defect engineering. She investigates how light interacts with electrons in solids, particularly focusing on exciton dynamics, ultrafast responses, and nonlinear phenomena.

Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on exciton physics, dielectric screening, and many-body effects across diverse material platforms. Using high-performance computing, her group bridges theoretical models with real material behavior, enabling predictive design of tunable and transient quantum materials.

Honors and Awards:

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), 2025
• NSF CAREER Award, 2023
• Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, 2021
• DOE Early Career Award, 2021
• Rising Stars in Physics, 2018
• Jackson C. Koo Award in Condensed Matter Physics, 2017

Advising and Grants: As a principal investigator, Dr. Qiu leads the Qiu Group and mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in computational materials science. She has secured major funding through the NSF, DOE, and Packard Foundation, supporting her research in quantum materials and exciton engineering. Her group collaborates with experimentalists to validate theoretical predictions and guide material synthesis.

Labs and Research Teams: The Qiu Group is based at the Energy Sciences Institute in West Haven, CT, and operates within Yale’s robust infrastructure for computational and materials research. The team leverages high-performance computing resources to perform large-scale simulations of quantum materials.