Wencan Jin

Wencan Jin

  • Thomas & Jean Walter Associate Professor in Department of Physics
  • Adjunct Professor in Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Physics
    • wzj0029@auburn.edu
    Leach Science Center 2122
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    Wencan Jin is Thomas and Jean Walter Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Adjunct Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Auburn University. His research focuses on optical spectroscopy (SHG and Raman) and photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES, XPS) studies of novel quantum materials with emphasis of light-matter interactions in 2D vdW materials and ferroic orders in complex oxides. He graduated from Renmin University of China in 2011 and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2017. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and joined Auburn University in 2019.

    Education

    • B.S. in Physics Renmin University of China 2011

    • Ph.D. in Applied Physics Columbia University 2017

    Professional Experience

    • Thomas & Jean Walter Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Auburn University, 2025 - Present
    • Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Auburn University, 2019- 2025
    • Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2017-2019

    Innovation

    • Research topics: Discovering and understanding novel phases of matter emerging from the interplay between lattice, charge, orbital, and spin degrees of freedom in low-dimensional quantum materials. Recent work focuses on chiral phenomena, optical control of ferroelectricity, and hybrid magnon-phonon cavities.
    • Material systems: Two-dimensional van der Waals materials (MoS2, CrI3, Fe5–xGeTe2, CrSBr), ferroic materials (ferro-axial order and ferroelectrics), molecular beam epitaxy-grown oxide thin films (La1–xSrxMnO3, SrTiO3, h-LuFeO3)
    • Experimental techniques: Lab-based optical spectroscopy (SHG, pump-probe spectroscopy, Raman scattering), synchrotron-based photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES, LEEM, XPEEM), and Physical Property Measurement System (VSM, FMR)


    Engagement

    • Organizer of OSA/SPIE Columbia Student Chapter, Maker Faire at New York Hall of Science, New York, 2016
    • Girls Science Day, Columbia University, New York, 2016
    • Event organizer of Detector Building, Alabama Science Olympiad, 2022 and 2023
    • Laser Harp, Physics Tailgate on the Game Day, Auburn, 2023
    • Laser Harp, Destination STEM, Auburn, 2022 and 2023
    • Physics of Novel Phases of Matter, Summer Science Institute, COSAM, Auburn University, 2023 and 2024
    • Crystal Structure in Virtual Reality, Physics Tailgate on the Game Day, Auburn, 2024
    • Crystal Structure in Virtual Reality, Destination STEM, Auburn, 2024
    • Event organizer of Optics, Alabama Science Olympiad, 2024 and 2025

    Teaching

    • PHYS 1600 - Engineering Physics I: Classical Mechanics
    • PHYS 1610 - Engineering Physics II: Electromagnetism
    • PHYS 5500/6500 - Quantum Computing and Quantum Materials
    • PHYS 5610/6610 - Introduction to Solid State Physics
    • PHYS 8930 - Spectroscopy Studies of Low-dimensional Quantum Materials


    Synergistic Activities

    • Referee for peer-reviewed journals: PNAS, Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Physics, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Physical Review Letters, Physical Review X, Physical Review Materials, Physical Review Research, Physical Review B, Nano Letters, Advanced Functional Materials, APL Materials, npj Quantum Materials, ACS Omega, Chemistry of Materials, Progress in Quantum Electronics, and National Science Review
    • Panel reviewer for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) and DoD National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship
    • Grant reviewer for DOE Basic Energy Sciences, NSF CMP Nanomaterials, DoD Air Force Office of Scientific Research
    • User proposal reviewer for Brookhaven National Lab and Oak Ridge National Lab.
    • Subcommittee Chair of CLEO FS4: Optical Excitations and Ultrafast Phenomena in Condensed Matter, 2023 and 2024
    • Focus Topic Organizer, Correlated States: Superconductivity, Density Waves, and Ferroelectricity (DMP), APS March Meeting, 2026


    Research grants

    • CAREER: Chiral Phenomena of Excited States in Spintronics, National Science Foundation, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 2024-2029
    • Studying magnetoelectric coupling in van der Waals/oxide thin film heterostructures, Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 2023-2027
    • In situ studies of charge transfer phenomena in complex oxide heterostructures, Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, 2022-2026
    • Probing novel phases of matter in van der Waals magnet Fe5–xGeTe2, National Science Foundation, Electronic and Photonic Materials, 2021-2025