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Fengcheng Wu

Professor
School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University
wufcheng@whu.edu.cn

About Me

I work on condensed matter theory, with a focus on low-dimensional quantum physics. The main interest is to predict/explain novel quantum phenomena that arise from the interplay of symmetry, topology, and many-body interactions. I have been studying a variety of topics, including, single-particle as well as many-body physics in moiré superlattices, superconductivity, topological phases of matter, light-matter interactions, and quantum Hall effects. With my collaborators, I made a number of theoretical predictions that have far-reaching impacts on the field, as many of them have been experimentally realized/verified.

Proposal of using semiconductor moiré bilayers as quantum simulators (PRL)

see Nature, Nature, and Nature for experimental realizations.

Prediction of topological phases in semiconductor moiré bilayers (PRL)

see Nature for observation of quantum anomalous Hall effects in MoTe2/WSe2.

Prediction of signatures of moiré excitons in optical spectrum (PRL, PRB)

see Nature, Nature, Nature, Nature, and Nature for observation of moiré excitons and polaritons.

Prediction of phonon-induced giant T-linear resistivity in graphene moiré systems (PRB)

see PRL, Nature Physics, and arxiv for observation of T-linear resistivity in graphene moiré systems.

Prediction of phonon-mediated unconventional pairings in graphene-based systems (PRL,PRB)

see PRL and PRL for applications of our theory to study SC in graphene-based systems.

Education

• Ph.D. in Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, 2011-2016, Advisor: Allan H. MacDonald

• B. S. in Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 2007-2011

Employment

Professor, Wuhan University, Since 2020

• Postdoc, University of Maryland, 2018-2020, Advisor: Sankar Das Sarma

• Postdoc, Argonne National Laboratory, 2016-2018, Advisor: Ivar Martin

Selected Publications

Theoretical Works

  1. F. Wu and S. Das Sarma, “Collective Excitations of Quantum Anomalous Hall Ferromagnets in Twisted Bilayer Graphene”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 046403 (2020).

  2. R.-X. Zhang†, F. Wu†, and S. Das Sarma, “Möbius Insulator and Higher-Order Topology in MnBi2nTe3n+1”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 136407 (2020). († corresponding authors)

  3. F. Wu, T. Lovorn, E. Tutuc, I. Martin, and A. H. MacDonald, “Topological insulators in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide homobilayers”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 086402 (2019).

  4. F. Wu, A. H. MacDonald, and I. Martin, “Theory of phonon-mediated superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 257001 (2018).

  5. F. Wu, T. Lovorn, E. Tutuc, and A. H. MacDonald, “Hubbard model physics in transition metal dichalcogenide moiré bands”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 026402 (2018).

  6. F. Wu, T. Lovorn, and A. H. MacDonald, “Topological exciton bands in moiré heterojunctions”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 147401 (2017).

Experimental Works

  1. L. Zhang, F. Wu, S. Hou, Z. Zhang, Y.-H. Chou, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, S. R. Forrest and H. Deng, “Van der Waals heterostructure polaritons with moiré-induced nonlinearity”, Nature 591, 61 (2021).

  2. L. Zhang, Z. Zhang, F. Wu†, D. Wang, R. Gogna, S. Hou, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, K. Kulkarni, T. Kuo, S. Forrest, and H. Deng†, “Twist-angle dependence of moiré excitons in WS2/MoSe2 heterobilayers”, Nat. Commun. 11, 5888 (2020). († corresponding authors)

  3. K. Tran, G. Moody, F. Wu†, X. Lu, J. Choi, K. Kim, A. Rai, D. A. Sanchez, J. Quan, A. Singh, J. Embley, A. Zepeda, M. Campbell, T. Autry, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, N. Lu, S. K. Banerjee, K. L. Silverman, S. Kim, E. Tutuc, L. Yang, A. H. MacDonald, and X. Li†, “Evidence for moiré excitons in van der Waals heterostructures”, Nature 567, 71 (2019). († corresponding authors)

  4. M. T. Randeria^, B. E. Feldman^, F. Wu^, H. Ding, A. Gyenis, H. Ji, R. J. Cava, A. H. MacDonald, and A. Yazdani, “Ferroelectric quantum Hall phase revealed by visualizing Landau level wave function interference”, Nature Physics 14, 796 (2018). (^equal contribution)

  5. B. E. Feldman, M. T. Randeria, A. Gyenis, F. Wu, H. Ji, R. Cava, A. H. MacDonald, and A. Yazdani, “Observation of a nematic quantum Hall liquid on the surface of bismuth”, Science 354, 316 (2016).

Students and Postdocs

For motivated students and postdocs, please contact me by email.

Together, Let’s Discover Something Fun!