Eric Y. Ma

Eric Y. Ma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and by courtesy in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at UC Berkeley, where he holds the Georgia Lee Chair in Physics. He leads the Ma Lab, focusing on wave-matter interactions in quantum regimes, sub-wavelength scales, and unconventional frequencies (THz to UV). His research combines simulation, optimization, and experimental techniques across microwave to ultraviolet domains.

Education

• 2016: Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Stanford University
• 2010: B.S. in Physics, Peking University

Research Focus

Dr. Ma's research explores electromagnetic interactions with condensed matter systems, developing novel tools for nanoscale characterization. His work spans quantum materials, inverse design methodologies, microwave microscopy innovations, and applications in computing, sensing, and mixed reality. The lab maintains a balance between fundamental physics and practical implementation.

Publication Trends

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on advancing microwave impedance microscopy techniques for quantum materials characterization, developing physics-agnostic inverse design frameworks, and exploring spin wave dynamics. Significant contributions appear in nanophotonics, quantum measurement, and interdisciplinary applications bridging physics with machine learning.

Awards & Honors

• Hellman Fellow (2024)
• Google Research Scholar (2024)
• Amazon Physical Science Fellowship (2022)
• Georgia Lee Chair in Physics

Research Support

• Moore Foundation: Quantum-Limited Atomic Force Microscope development (2024)
• NSF: Advanced Inverse Design of Microwave Devices (2024)
• Google: Parsing Physics Literature with LLMs (2024)

Laboratory

The Ma Lab specializes in developing experimental platforms spanning microwave to ultraviolet frequencies, emphasizing DIY instrumentation and collaborative research. The team includes postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduates working on quantum materials characterization, inverse design algorithms, and novel microscopy techniques.