Yuan Cao

Yuan Cao is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, since July 2024. He completed his BSc in Applied Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (2014), followed by an MS (2016) and PhD (2020) in Electrical Engineering at MIT. Before joining Berkeley, he was a Junior Fellow at Harvard University (2021–2024). His research focuses on the electrical properties of low-dimensional materials and their applications via nanotechnology, including MEMS. Notable achievements include pioneering work on twisted graphene superconductivity, recognized as a Nature’s 10 highlight (2018) and Physics Breakthrough of the Year. He has received awards such as the Sackler Prize in Physics (2020), McMillan Award (2021), and NSF CAREER Award (2025).

His research integrates experimental physics, nanofabrication, and low-temperature transport to explore novel quantum phenomena in 2D materials. Recent breakthroughs include the MEGA2D platform, an on-chip MEMS system enabling precise manipulation of 2D materials. Collaborations with Prof. Nguyen secured a $1M DARPA NIMBUS contract, and his NSF CAREER award funds studies on reconfigurable graphene superlattices.

• Education:
  • PhD, Electrical Engineering, MIT (2020)
  • MS, Electrical Engineering, MIT (2016)
  • BSc, Applied Physics, USTC (2014)
• Awards:
  • NSF CAREER Award (2025)
  • Sackler Prize in Physics (2020)
  • McMillan Award (2021)
  • TIME 100 Next (2019)
• Grants & Funding:
  • $1M DARPA NIMBUS Program Contract (2023)
  • $810K NSF CAREER Award (2025)

Prof. Cao’s lab actively recruits motivated graduate students and postdocs with expertise in 2D materials, MEMS, nanofabrication, or low-temperature physics. The lab is part of UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering, fostering interdisciplinary research at the forefront of quantum and nanoscale systems.