Our ultrafast photodynamics of quantum materials (UPQM) group leads a unique research direction to understand ultrafast dynamics of next generation quantum devices. The research of UPQM group is to bridge the gap between fundamental photophysics and devices, and to develop next generation technologies to make contributions to society.

The UPQM group research includes three areas:

• Ultrafast carrier dynamics in situ devices: a) ultrafast photocurrent spectroscopy (U-PCS); b) ultrafast electroluminescence spectroscopy (U-ELS).
• Next generation quantum devices: electrically-driven single-photon emitter (quantum dot LED), single-photon detector (infrared high-speed photodetector), solar cells, and thin film transistors.
• Quantum materials synthesis and novel property characterization.

1. Kobbekaduwa, S. Shrestha, E. Liu, P. Adhikari, A. M. Rao, M. Beard, W. Nie, and J. Gao, “In-situObservation of Trapped Carriers in Organic Metal Halide Perovskite Films with Ultra-fast Temporal and Ultra-high Energetic Resolutions.” Nature Communications 12, 1-7 (2021).
2. F. Fidler, J. Gao, and V. I. Klimov, “Electron-hole Exchange Blockade and Memory-less Recombination in Photoexcited Films of Colloidal Quantum Dots.” Nature Physics 13, 604 (2017).
3. Gao, A. F. Fidler, and V. I. Klimov, “Observation of Carrier Multiplication through Transient Photocurrent in Conducting Films of Lead Selenide Quantum Dots.” Nature Communications 6, 8185 (2015).
4. E. Semonin, J. M. Luther, S. Choi, H. Y. Chen, J. Gao, A. J. Nozik, and M. C. Beard, “Peak External Photocurrent Quantum Efficiency Exceeding 100% via MEG in a Quantum Dot Solar Cell.” Science 334, 1530-1533 (2011).
5. Adhikari, P. Wang, K. Kobbekaduwa, C. Xie, C. Huai, Y. Wang, J. Zhang, Y. Shi, Haimei Zheng, A. M Rao, H. Zeng, J. Gao, “Generating and Capturing Secondary Hot Carriers in Monolayer Tungsten Dichalcogenides.” The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 13 (25), 5703 (2022).
6. Cai, W. Shi, D. J Gosztola, K. Kobbekaduwa, H. Yang, N. Jin, Y. Nagaoka, L. Dube, J. Schneider, S. Hwang, J. Gao, X. Ma, O. Chen, “Colloidal synthesis and charge carrier dynamics of Cs4Cd1-xCuxSb2Cl12 (0≤ x≤ 1) layered double perovskite nanocrystals.” Matter. 4, 2936. (2021).
7. Cai, W. Shi, S. Hwang, K. Kobbekaduwa, Y. Nagaoka, H. Yang, K. Hills-Kimball, H. Zhu, J. Wang, Z. Wang, Y. Liu, D. Su, J. Gao, O.Chen, “Lead-Free Cs4CuSb2Cl12 Layered Double Perovskite Nanocrystals.” Journal of the American Chemical Society. 142, 11927, (2020).

M.Sc., Department of Physics, Jilin University, Jilin, P. R. China

M.Sc., Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Ph.D., Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico

Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry and Nanoscience, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colorado

2017-2022: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

2014-2017: Research Associate Specialist, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California

CHEM3P51-Quantum Chemistry

CHEM-3P53-Atomic and Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy

CHEM4P67- Biophysical Techniques