Wanzheng Hu

Wanzheng Hu is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Boston University's College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on experimental condensed matter physics, particularly light-induced phenomena in quantum materials. He leads a lab exploring dynamical materials control with light, including ultrafast spectroscopy and coherent phonon manipulation. He holds a PhD from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a B.S. from Beijing University of Technology.

Research Interests:

• Light-induced far-from-equilibrium dynamics
• Superconductivity in iron-based and nickel-based materials
• Optical stabilization of quantum phases
• Coherent phonon control in low-dimensional systems

Awards:

• NSF CAREER Award (2020)
• DOE Early Career Award (2020)
• ERC Starting Grant (€1.79M, 2017)

Grants & Projects:

• DOE-funded study on ultrafast manipulation of quantum materials using phonon excitation (total $929,769)
• NSF-funded investigation of superconductivity-crystal structure relationships in iron-based systems

His lab conducts table-top pump-probe experiments and collaborates with synchrotron facilities like LCLS. Current work includes developing optical methods to stabilize non-equilibrium quantum phases and studying chiral spin liquids in thin films.