Mingzhao Liu

Dr. Mingzhao Liu is a Senior Scientist at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) within Brookhaven National Laboratory and has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University since 2014.

• Education:
  • B.S. in Chemistry, Peking University (2002)
  • Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Chicago (2007)

His research bridges two cutting-edge domains: solar energy conversion and quantum information science. For solar energy, he focuses on synthesizing defect-free bismuth vanadate photoelectrodes for hydrogen production via water splitting. For quantum applications, he investigates superconducting metal silicides to enhance qubit stability and coherence, while leading materials subthrust efforts in the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C²QA).

His work leverages advanced techniques like pulsed laser deposition (PLD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and in situ x-ray spectroscopy to understand atomic-scale material behavior. Recent publications emphasize interface engineering, surface oxidation control, and defect mitigation in quantum and energy materials.

Scientific awards include the Brookhaven Spotlight Award (2012, 2014), Yang Cao-Lan-Xian Thesis Award (2008), and the Albert J. Cross Prize (2006). He was a Peking University Mingde Scholar and earned a Gold Medal at the 30th International Chemistry Olympiad (1998).

Dr. Liu manages advanced fabrication tools at CFN, including PLD systems and sputtering apparatus, and collaborates with institutions like Princeton University and IBM through C²QA. His work integrates theory-experiment feedback loops to correlate material properties with device performance.