Xuedan Ma

Xuedan Ma is an Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University, joining in July 2024. She holds additional roles as a Visiting Scholar at Argonne National Laboratory’s Nanoscience and Technology Division and has prior affiliations including RD3 Scientist roles at Argonne (2016-2021), CASE Fellowships at University of Chicago (2017-2024), and NAISE Fellowships at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on quantum optics, nanophotonics, and cavity quantum electrodynamics, with emphasis on low-dimensional materials, semiconductors, and magnetic systems. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Hamburg (2011), M.Sc. from Siegen University (2007), and B.Sc. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2005).

Her work bridges nanoscale material design with advanced optical characterization techniques, including ultrafast electron microscopy and magneto-Raman spectroscopy. Key contributions involve single-photon emitter engineering in 2D materials, charge transport in supramolecular assemblies, and magnetic bubble lattice dynamics in van der Waals magnets. Dr. Ma also develops AI-driven microscopy workflows and explores applications in quantum photonics and spintronics.

Recent studies highlight her team’s advancements in quantum defect engineering, plasmon-coupled exciton dynamics, and optically active defect characterization in carbon nanotubes. Her lab collaborates across institutions to address challenges in energy materials, nanoscale magnetism, and light-matter interaction phenomena.