About

Pinshane Y. Huang is a Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Materials Research Laboratory at UIUC. Pinshane Huang holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Applied and Engineering Physics from Cornell University, as well as a B.A. in Physics from Carleton College. Her research has gained significant recognition and has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Nova, National Geographic, BusinessWeek, CBS News, Discover Magazine, and the Guinness Book of World Records. Her work focuses on advanced materials characterization techniques, particularly utilizing transmission electron microscopy and related methods to explore the atomic-scale properties of materials.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Optoelectronics
• Inorganic chemistry
• Physics
• Chemical engineering
• Molecular physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Organic chemistry
• Optics
• Composite material

Selected publications

• Structural control of two-level defect density revealed by high-throughput correlative measurements of Josephson junctions

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-02-12

  articleOpen access

  Materials defects in Josephson junctions (JJs), often referred to as two-level systems (TLS), couple to superconducting qubits and are a critical bottleneck for scalable quantum processors. Despite their importance, understanding the microscopic sources of TLS and how to mitigate them has remained a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate a high-throughput, correlated approach to trace the microstructural origins of strongly-coupled TLS in Josephson circuits. We assembled a massive dataset of TLS across 6,000 Al/AlOx/Al JJs and more than 600 atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy images. We statistically link fabrication, microstructure, and TLS occurrence, revealing a strong correlation between Al electrode thickness, Al grain size, and TLS density. Correspondingly, we find a two-thirds reduction in TLS prompted by a change in electrode fabrication parameters. These results demonstrate a robust, data-driven methodology to understand and control defects in quantum circuits and pave the way for significantly reducing TLS density.

  PublisherOA PDF

• Field‐Effect Transistors from Artificial Charged Domain Walls in Stacked Van der Waals Ferroelectric α‐In ₂ Se ₃ (Adv. Mater. 20/2026)

  Advanced Materials · 2026-04-01

  article

  Van der Waals Ferroelectric By transferring van der Waals ferroelectrics with opposite polarization, it is possible to create an artificial highly conducting charge domain wall at the interface. This provides a new strategy for engineering emergent states in van der Waals materials and a new route for synthesizing on demand and electrically addressable charge domain walls. More details can be found in the Research Article by Arend M. van der Zande and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/adma.202523096).

  PublisherDOI

• Structural control of two-level defect density revealed by high-throughput correlative measurements of Josephson junctions

  Open MIND · 2026-02-12

  preprint

  Materials defects in Josephson junctions (JJs), often referred to as two-level systems (TLS), couple to superconducting qubits and are a critical bottleneck for scalable quantum processors. Despite their importance, understanding the microscopic sources of TLS and how to mitigate them has remained a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate a high-throughput, correlated approach to trace the microstructural origins of strongly-coupled TLS in Josephson circuits. We assembled a massive dataset of TLS across 6,000 Al/AlOx/Al JJs and more than 600 atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy images. We statistically link fabrication, microstructure, and TLS occurrence, revealing a strong correlation between Al electrode thickness, Al grain size, and TLS density. Correspondingly, we find a two-thirds reduction in TLS prompted by a change in electrode fabrication parameters. These results demonstrate a robust, data-driven methodology to understand and control defects in quantum circuits and pave the way for significantly reducing TLS density.

  DOI

• Reexamining the strange metal charge response with transmission inelastic electron scattering

  Open MIND · 2026-02-02

  preprint

  The strange metal remains one of the great unsolved problems for 21st century science. Since the early development of the marginal Fermi liquid phenomenology, it has been clear that progress requires detailed knowledge of the momentum- and frequency-dependent charge susceptibility, $χ(\mathbf{q},ω)$, particularly at large momenta. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), performed in either reflection or transmission geometry, provides the most direct probe of $χ(\mathbf{q},ω)$. However, measurements over the past four decades have yielded conflicting results, with some studies reporting a dispersing RPA-like plasmon and others observing a strongly overdamped, incoherent response. Here we report a transmission EELS study of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ (Bi-2212) that simultaneously achieves high energy resolution ($ΔE \approx 30$ meV) and high momentum resolution ($Δq \approx 0.01$ Å$^{-1}$). To address issues of reproducibility, measurements were repeated ten times on five different Bi-2212 flakes, benchmarked against aluminum, a well-characterized Fermi liquid, and quantitatively compared with prior studies spanning four decades. At momenta $q < 0.15$ Å$^{-1}$, we observe a highly damped plasmon whose linewidth is comparable to its energy. At larger momenta, $q > 0.15$ Å$^{-1}$, this excitation does not disperse but instead evolves into an incoherent continuum, with no evidence for the RPA-like dispersion reported in some earlier works. Comparison with recent RIXS measurements on Bi-based cuprates supports the view that Bi-2212 is an incoherent metal with strongly damped charge excitations.

  DOI

• Atomic and Electronic Structure of Strongly Charged Domain Walls in van der Waals α-In$_2$Se$_3$

  ArXiv.org · 2026-01-27

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Here, we use atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and first principles calculations to study the atomic and electronic structure of strongly charged domain walls in $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$. STEM imaging and density functional theory (DFT) show that head-to-head (HH) domain walls contain a layer of nonpolar $β$-In$_2$Se$_3$, whereas tail-to-tail (TT) domain walls are atomically abrupt. We apply 4D STEM and multislice electron ptychography to map ferroelectric domains in 2D and 3D, showing that nearly $180^\circ$ domain walls exhibit complex, curved 3D structures that differ from ideal $180^\circ$ structures. Band structure calculations show localized conducting states within a $\sim$ 1 nm thick layer at both HH and TT domain walls, such as a midgap state at the $β$ layer of the HH domain wall. These properties make strongly charged domain walls in $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ excellent candidates for realizing 2D electron or hole gases and domain wall engineering in van der Waals ferroelectrics.

  PublisherOA PDF

• Millimeter-Scale, Atomically Controlled 2D Topological Insulators Revealed by Multimodal Spectroscopy

  ArXiv.org · 2026-03-15

  articleOpen access

  Quantum spin Hall insulators, or synonymously known as 2D topological insulators, are crucial 2D systems hosting topologically protected edge states. The working temperature of this topological quantum phase is dictated by the inverted bandgap. However, the previously identified large-gap 2D topological insulators are either extremely chemically unstable, or cannot be made with atomistic precision over macroscopic scales. Here, we establish two-quintuple-layer Bi2Te3 and MnBi2Te4/Bi2Te3 heterostructures as atomically controlled, millimeter-scale 2D topological insulators, enabled by precision layer-by-layer growth that yields a carpet-like morphology extending coherently over macroscopic distances. This carpet-like growth mode renders the films amenable to mechanical exfoliation and subsequent wet or dry transfer. Multimodal spectroscopies and microscopies reveal the integer-layer tuned electronic structure of (Bi2Te3)n with excellent agreement to theory. Photon-energy-dependent photoemission and time-resolved photoemission identify band inversion and band dynamics, respectively, while scanning tunneling spectroscopy resolves topological edge states, characteristic of the 2D topological insulator phase. Thickness- and photon-energy-dependent photoemission further validates MnBi2Te4/Bi2Te3 as a robust 2D topological insulator. The large inverted gaps of ~100 meV in (Bi2Te3)2 and ~150 meV in MnBi2Te4/Bi2Te3 suggest operation near ambient temperature. These results define a scalable materials platform for next-generation, low-loss quantum and energy-efficient devices.

  PublisherOA PDF

• Atomic and Electronic Structure of Strongly Charged Domain Walls in van der Waals α-In$_2$Se$_3$

  Open MIND · 2026-01-27

  preprintSenior author

  Here, we use atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and first principles calculations to study the atomic and electronic structure of strongly charged domain walls in $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$. STEM imaging and density functional theory (DFT) show that head-to-head (HH) domain walls contain a layer of nonpolar $β$-In$_2$Se$_3$, whereas tail-to-tail (TT) domain walls are atomically abrupt. We apply 4D STEM and multislice electron ptychography to map ferroelectric domains in 2D and 3D, showing that nearly $180^\circ$ domain walls exhibit complex, curved 3D structures that differ from ideal $180^\circ$ structures. Band structure calculations show localized conducting states within a $\sim$ 1 nm thick layer at both HH and TT domain walls, such as a midgap state at the $β$ layer of the HH domain wall. These properties make strongly charged domain walls in $α$-In$_2$Se$_3$ excellent candidates for realizing 2D electron or hole gases and domain wall engineering in van der Waals ferroelectrics.

  DOI

• 3D mapping of defects and moiré corrugations via electron ptychography atomic coordinate retrieval

  Science Advances · 2026-05-06

  preprintOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Defects and reconstructions in two-dimensional (2D) moiré materials cause out-of-plane deformations that strongly modify their electronic properties but are difficult to experimentally access. Here, we solve the 3D atomic coordinates of twisted bilayer WSe 2 with picometer-scale accuracy using multislice electron ptychography (MEP) acquired from a single orientation. The resulting atomic models individually visualize each of the six atomic planes, revealing the curvature of each WSe 2 layer, variations in the interlayer spacing, and the 3D locations of individual vacancies, which lie exclusively in the outer Se planes. We also observe an unexpected type of structural disorder consisting of mixed bending- and breathing-type moiré-induced corrugations that should strongly affect the emergent electronic properties. Broadly, our methods generate 3D atom-by-atom models of a 2D heterointerface from data acquired in about 30 seconds, methods that should unlock routine access to 3D atomic information in 2D systems and catalyze design methods to control out-of-plane deformations.

  PublisherDOI

• Reexamining the strange metal charge response with transmission inelastic electron scattering

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-02-02

  articleOpen access

  The strange metal remains one of the great unsolved problems for 21st century science. Since the early development of the marginal Fermi liquid phenomenology, it has been clear that progress requires detailed knowledge of the momentum- and frequency-dependent charge susceptibility, $χ(\mathbf{q},ω)$, particularly at large momenta. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), performed in either reflection or transmission geometry, provides the most direct probe of $χ(\mathbf{q},ω)$. However, measurements over the past four decades have yielded conflicting results, with some studies reporting a dispersing RPA-like plasmon and others observing a strongly overdamped, incoherent response. Here we report a transmission EELS study of Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$ (Bi-2212) that simultaneously achieves high energy resolution ($ΔE \approx 30$ meV) and high momentum resolution ($Δq \approx 0.01$ Å$^{-1}$). To address issues of reproducibility, measurements were repeated ten times on five different Bi-2212 flakes, benchmarked against aluminum, a well-characterized Fermi liquid, and quantitatively compared with prior studies spanning four decades. At momenta $q < 0.15$ Å$^{-1}$, we observe a highly damped plasmon whose linewidth is comparable to its energy. At larger momenta, $q > 0.15$ Å$^{-1}$, this excitation does not disperse but instead evolves into an incoherent continuum, with no evidence for the RPA-like dispersion reported in some earlier works. Comparison with recent RIXS measurements on Bi-based cuprates supports the view that Bi-2212 is an incoherent metal with strongly damped charge excitations.

  PublisherOA PDF

• Millimeter-Scale, Atomically Controlled 2D Topological Insulators Revealed by Multimodal Spectroscopy

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-03-15

  preprintOpen access

  Quantum spin Hall insulators, or synonymously known as 2D topological insulators, are crucial 2D systems hosting topologically protected edge states. The working temperature of this topological quantum phase is dictated by the inverted bandgap. However, the previously identified large-gap 2D topological insulators are either extremely chemically unstable, or cannot be made with atomistic precision over macroscopic scales. Here, we establish two-quintuple-layer Bi2Te3 and MnBi2Te4/Bi2Te3 heterostructures as atomically controlled, millimeter-scale 2D topological insulators, enabled by precision layer-by-layer growth that yields a carpet-like morphology extending coherently over macroscopic distances. This carpet-like growth mode renders the films amenable to mechanical exfoliation and subsequent wet or dry transfer. Multimodal spectroscopies and microscopies reveal the integer-layer tuned electronic structure of (Bi2Te3)n with excellent agreement to theory. Photon-energy-dependent photoemission and time-resolved photoemission identify band inversion and band dynamics, respectively, while scanning tunneling spectroscopy resolves topological edge states, characteristic of the 2D topological insulator phase. Thickness- and photon-energy-dependent photoemission further validates MnBi2Te4/Bi2Te3 as a robust 2D topological insulator. The large inverted gaps of ~100 meV in (Bi2Te3)2 and ~150 meV in MnBi2Te4/Bi2Te3 suggest operation near ambient temperature. These results define a scalable materials platform for next-generation, low-loss quantum and energy-efficient devices.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• CAREER: Spectroscopic Imaging of Nanoscale Structure and Chemistry at Soft-Hard Interfaces

  NSF · $592k · 2019–2025

Frequent coauthors

• André Schleife

  National Center for Supercomputing Applications

  58 shared

• Arend M. van der Zande

  48 shared

• David A. Muller

  Cornell University

  44 shared

• Cecília Leal

  Friedrich Schiller University Jena

  35 shared

• Kisung Kang

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  35 shared

• Chia‐Hao Lee

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  29 shared

• Jessica A. Krogstad

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  27 shared

• Matthew D. Goodman

  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  26 shared

Labs

• Pinshane Huang Research LabPI

Education

• PhD, Applied Physics

  Cornell University

  2014

Awards & honors

• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers…
• Packard Fellowship
• Sloan Fellowship