I-MRSEC Seminar - Prof. Zhaodong Chu, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee State University

Title: Probing Collective Dynamics in Quantum Materials Across Surfaces and Nanoscales

Speaker: Prof. Zhaodong Chu, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tennessee State University

Collective excitations play an important role in how quantum materials respond to external stimuli, relax toward equilibrium, and exhibit functional properties, yet their behavior can change dramatically near surfaces and across nanoscale regions. In this talk, I will present my recent studies using terahertz, electron, and X-ray probes to uncover these dynamics. Highlights include: I) the development of surface-sensitive spintronic terahertz spectroscopy to probe the dynamics of surface phonons that mediate Cooper pairing at KTaO3- and SrTiO3-based interfaces1, advancing our understanding of interfacial superconductivity and ferroelectricity; and II) the visualization of ultrafast depolarization-driven acoustic phonon dynamics in the van der Waals ferroelectric NbOI2 using ultrafast electron microscopy and diffraction2, providing microscopic insight into nanoscale energy flow, phonon decoherence, and mechanical functionality. I will also briefly discuss ultrafast spin-mediated electron–phonon coupling in the van der Waals antiferromagnet FePSe3, as revealed by ultrafast X-ray nanodiffraction3. I will conclude with a perspective on how integrated nanoscale and ultrafast measurements can reveal the interplay among local structure, collective dynamics, and electronic responses.

References:

• Z. Chu, J. Yang, et al., Science Advances 10 (48), eads8601 (2024).
• Z. Chu, C. Fox, et al., arXiv:2602.11504 (2026).
• Z. Chu, et al., manuscript under preparation (2026).

Bio: Dr. Zhaodong Chu is an incoming tenure-track Research Assistant Professor at the TIGER Institute at Tennessee State University (beginning in Sep. 2026). He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021, where he received several prestigious honors, including the UT Graduate Continuing Fellowship and the Glenn Focht Memorial Fellowship. He then joined Argonne National Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher. His research integrates advanced nanoscale imaging with pump–probe techniques spanning the microwave, terahertz, optical, X-ray, and electron regimes to study and control emergent quantum phenomena at nanometer length scales and ultrafast timescales.