Professor Zhi-Xun Shen
Paul Pigott Professor in Physical Sciences of Stanford University
To Contact: Please contact Ellie Lwin
Dr. Shen received his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University in 1989, M.S. from Rutgers University in 1985, and B.S from Fudan University in 1983.
Dr. Shen is currently the director of the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES). SIMES is a joint institute of Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, focusing on scientific foundation related to the energy challenge facing our society. Dr. Shen is also a Co-Director of the Stanford-Chevron Program for Diamondoid Nanoscience.
Dr. Shen is the Paul Pigott Professor in Physical Sciences of Stanford University. Dr. Shen has been a Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and SLAC Photon Science since 2000, an Associate Professor (1996-2000), and Assistant Professor (1992-1996). He is also a Professor of Electrical Engineering by courtesy.
His main research interest lies in the area of condensed matter and materials physics. The questions motivate his research are: what is the nature of quantum matter? How complexity gives rise to unusual and extreme properties? He focuses on the physics of “many”, where interactions among multiple constituencies give “emergence” of novel properties not intrinsic to the individual components. He sends electromagnetic waves to probe matter, including x-ray, ultra-violet radiation, laser, and microwave radiation. Insights are gained through precision analysis of ejected particles, either photons or electrons. He develops precision instrumentation.
His specific research topics include: high temperature superconductors, strongly correlated and magnetic materials, nano-structured Carbon, x-ray techniques and novel light sources, modern photoelectron spectroscopy –with energy, momentum, spin and time resolution, laser and microwave spectroscopy and imaging, application of novel materials.
He has more than 250 publications, including more than 60 in three important journals of his field: Nature, Physical Review Letters, and Science. Six of his papers have been identified by the citation tracking algorithm of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) as among the most cited recent papers in its periodic surveys. His publication record has H citation index of 59.
Dr. Shen has mentored about forty graduate students and postdoctoral fellows/research associates. More than fifteen of them work in industry, business and government, while more than twenty of them joined the faculty of major universities in North America, Asia and Europe.
His awards include: Sloan Research Fellow (1993); Materials Science Research Award for Outstanding Scientific Accomplishment in Solid State Physics, Office of Basic Energy Science, Department of Energy (1994); American Physical Society Centennial Lecture (1999); Kammerlingh Onnes Prize (2000); The Takeda Foundation Techno-Entrepreneurship Award (2002), American Physical Society Fellow (2002); Paul Pigott Professorship in Physical Sciences (2006).
Dr. Shen served as a member of the Executive Committee, Division
of Condensed Matter Physics, American Physical Society (2002-2004); Member
of the Basic Energy Science Advisory Committee, US Department of Energy (1997-2002,
as Vice Chair, 2000-2001); Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee, Advanced
Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (1998-2000); Member of
the Executive Committee, Forum on International Physics, APS (1998); Member
of the Council, Overseas Chinese Physics Association (1996-); Member of Editorial
Board, Chinese Physics (1999-2010); Member of the Search Committee for Directors
of Taiwan Synchrotron Radiation Research Center and SSRL (2004-2005); Member,
Advisory Committee for the Physics Department, Tsing-Hua University, Beijing,
China (2002 - ); Member, Visiting Committee for the Physics Department, Zhejiang
University; Chairman, International Scientific Advisory Committee, Shanghai
Light Source, China; Member, Director Search Committee, SLAC; He served on
the editorial board of “Chinese Physics”.
Dr. Shen is the co-inventor of seven US patent and patent disclosures.
