Yong Han

Yong Han is a Research Scientist at the Ames National Laboratory (U.S. Department of Energy) and the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Iowa State University, where he has been employed since 2011. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering (2007) and an M.S. in Physics (2004) from the University of Utah. His professional trajectory includes positions as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Ames Laboratory (2007–2011) and Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant roles at the University of Utah.

Dr. Han's research integrates computational simulation and physical modeling across atomic to mesoscopic scales. Key focus areas include:

• Thermodynamic/kinetic properties of bulk materials, surfaces, and interfaces
• Growth mechanisms of nanofilms and self-assembly of nanostructures
• Quantum effects in graphene, topological insulators, and silica nanopores
• Electronic structure analysis using density functional theory, kinetic Monte Carlo, and molecular dynamics

His work frequently collaborates with experimental groups utilizing scanning tunneling microscopy.

Analysis of recent publications (2023–2025) reveals dominant themes in computational materials science, including intercalation chemistry in 2D materials, metal nanocluster dynamics, surface diffusion phenomena, and method development for nanostructure simulation. Research consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with experimental validations.

Dr. Han contributes to major projects including Development of Exascale Software for Heterogeneous & Interfacial Catalysis and Theoretical & Computational Tools for Modeling Energy-Relevant Catalysis. He maintains active collaborations with national laboratories and experimental research teams.