Lan Cheng

Lan Cheng is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, specializing in theoretical and computational chemistry. He leads a research group focused on the development of advanced electronic structure methods for heavy-element systems, with applications in spectroscopy, quantum science, and precision measurement. His work bridges chemistry and physics, particularly in the context of actinide and lanthanide chemistry.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry, Peking University (2009)
• B.S. in Chemistry, Tsinghua University (2001)

Research Interests: His research is centered on relativistic quantum chemistry, including the development of spin-orbit coupled-cluster methods, exact two-component theories, and unitary coupled-cluster approaches for excited states. He applies these methods to study actinide chemistry, X-ray spectroscopy, and the electronic structure of molecules relevant to laser cooling and fundamental physics searches. His group develops computational tools that are integrated into the CFOUR program package.

The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward high-accuracy quantum chemical methods for core-level spectroscopies, relativistic effects in heavy atoms, and the prediction of molecular properties critical for quantum information and precision measurement. His work often involves close collaboration with experimental groups at institutions such as Harvard, Argonne National Laboratory, and JILA.

Scientific Awards and Funding:

• Department of Energy Early Career Award (2019–2024)
• DOE subcontract with Argonne National Laboratory (2020–2023)
• National Science Foundation Grant (2020–2023)
• Air Force Office of Scientific Research subcontract (2022–2027)

Advising and Grants: Dr. Cheng mentors multiple graduate students and has advised postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to faculty and research positions. His group is supported by major federal grants that enable the development of novel computational methods and their application to challenging problems in heavy-element chemistry. He actively collaborates with experimentalists to validate theoretical predictions and guide new discoveries.

Labs and Teams: The Cheng Group is a computational theory group that contributes to the CFOUR quantum chemistry software. The team focuses on algorithm development, implementation in Fortran and C++, and high-performance computing for molecular simulations.