Quantum Materials Intelligence & Nano Devices (Q MIND) Lab
at UCLA
From Deciphering Quantum Materials to Transformative Technologies
Join Our Team (We are Hiring!)
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News
Vision
Throughout history, human civilization advanced by mastering the fundamental properties of materials. We learned how to utilize their mechanical properties early on—as in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Then came the era of silicon and semiconductors, where we learned to control electrical conductivity and revolutionized computing.
Now, we stand at the next frontier: harnessing the finer quantum properties of materials. From topological phases to superconductivity, these finer quantum effects hold the key to the next round of technological advances. Q MIND Lab will lead the way in turning these quantum effects into real-world applications—whether in electronics, energy, or quantum technology.
Research at Q MIND Lab at UCLA
Combining MSE, physics, and ECE, we tackle grand challenges in quantum science in two focus areas:
(i) Quantum Matter: We image and control electron interactions and topological properties using STM and transport. Our work explores exotic quantum phases in chiral superconductors, Kagome lattices, topological exciton insulators, and moiré systems—uncovering new properties to enable next-gen quantum tech.
(ii) Sustainable Quantum Devices: To reduce energy consumption in modern tech, we target room-temperature topological materials that enable lossless current flow. Using AI-driven quantum spectroscopy and transport studies, we’ll identify and develop scalable materials for sustainable quantum devices.
Room-Temperature Topological Transport
Making electronics energy-efficient by not allowing the electrons to make U-turns.
Identify topological matter that functions at room T.
(Nano)fabricate devices with room-T topological materials.
Realize topological electron transport at room T .
Techniques
STM
Transport
Materials
'Insulating' topological and Chern insulators
Topological Superconductivity
Developing a material platform for topological qubit
Theoretically, topological qubits should be immune to decoherence and could scale up to a million qubits. That’s why there is so much excitement, including recent efforts by Microsoft. However, we still lack a reliable material platform. We need magnetic adatoms in a topological superconductor.
Techniques
STM
Electrical & Heat Transport
Materials
Kagome Materials
Moire Matter
2D Materials
Quantum Materials for Sensing
This research bridges quantum materials and quantum sensing by leveraging the unique, highly responsive properties of these materials. Topological materials near phase transitions can boost photo-detection sensitivity, while systems with competing electronic orders offer precision strain sensing. Additionally, distinct resistance–temperature behaviors may enable versatile, wide-range temperature sensors.
Techniques
Electronic & Optoelectronic transport
Materials
Topological CDW
Topology+Excitons
Kagome Materials
Optoelectronics with Quantum Matter
Topological materials offer exciting opportunities to enhance optoelectronic performance. For example, chiral topological materials exhibit strong photogalvanic effects. By combining scanning photocurrent microscopy with scanning tunneling microscopy, we will identify topological materials that demonstrate substantial room-temperature photoresponses.
Techniques
STM
Photocurrent Microscopy
Materials
Chiral Topological Materials
AI + STM Discovery of New Quantum Materials
We will integrate AI with STM to accelerate the discovery of quantum materials. AI will identify promising candidates, which will be validated through first-principles calculations. After collaborating with synthesis experts to fabricate these materials, we will use STM to confirm their quantum properties. This approach aligns with the Materials Genome Initiative.
Techniques
STM, LLM
Deep Learning
Materials
Room-T Topology
Kagome Magnets
Publications Before Joining UCLA
Quantum/ 2D/ Topological Materials & Devices:
Lead Author Publications: 1 Nature, 5 Nature Physics/ Nature Materials/ Nature Electronics (1 cover article) [8 total], 3 Nature Communications/ PRL [5 Total], 2 PRB/ PRM [6 Total]
01
Hybrid Topological Quantum State
Nature 628, 527 (2024)- Interplay between different quantum topological states in elemental As.
Impact: New topological materials and devices
beyond Bi or Sb-based platforms.
Topological Excitonic Insulator
Nature Physics (2025)- First experimental identification of such a correlated topological phase in a 3D material- sought after since the 1960s.
02
02
Unconventional Gapping Behavior in a Kagome Superconductor
Nature Physics 21, 556 (2025)- First evidence for band selective pairing with remarkable decoupling of the (two)
superconducting gaps.
03
Phase-Coherent Transport of Topological Hinge modes
Nature Physics 20, 776 (2024)- First joint
spectroscopy-transport confirmation of topological
boundary modes in an insulator.
04
Topological Charge Density Wave (CDW)
Nature Physics 20, 1253 (2024)- First detection of a topological boundary mode (a real space “spectral flow”) inside the CDW gap, surviving up to 260 K
05
Room T Quantum Spin Hall State
Nature Materials 21, 1111 (2022); cover article- First room-temperature, ambient-pressure, zero-field quantum phenomenon.
Impact: Accessible for next-generation quantum tech.
06
Tunable Superconductivity and Anomalous Hall Effect in atomically thin 1T' WS2
Nature Communications 16, 2399 (2025)- A cascade
of electronic phase transitions by tuning a single parameter,
pressure.
07
Broken Symmetries of Kagome Chiral Charge Order
Nature Communications 16, 3782 (2025)- Elucidating
the symmetry breaking in the kagome superconductor
KV3Sb5.
08
2D Superconductivity and van Hove Singularity (vHs) Intertwined to Topology
Nature Communications 16, 3998 (2025)- 2D superconductivity and vHs confined to the top and bottom
surfaces of ZrAs2.
09
2D Physics/ Correlated & Topological Phases/ Semiconductor Devices:
Lead Author Publications: 1 Nature Physics, 6 PRL (4 editor’s suggestions, 1 featured in Physics) [7 total], 1 PNAS (highlighted with a commentary), 3 PRB (1 editor’s suggestion) [7 total]
01
Bloch Ferromagnetism
Nature Physics 17, 48 (2021)- First realization of the textbook Bloch/Stoner ferromagnetism, an interaction-driven itinerant ferromagnetism
Impact: Verify a century-old prediction and show correlation physics in composite fermions.
Collapse in the Electronic Degrees of Freedom at Low Densities
PNAS 117, 32244 (2020)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 116601 (2021)
02
02
Anisotropic Wigner Crystal
Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 036601 (2022)- At low densities in an anisotropic system, electrons crystallize into an anisotropic electron solid.
03
New Even Denominator Fractional Quantum Hall States and Their Origin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 256601 (2018)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 256601 (2018)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 126301 (2023)
04
Luttinger Theorem & Particle Hole Symmetry of Composite Fermions (CFs)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 046601 (2020)- Resolved a long-standing puzzle, showing that the CF Fermi sea obeys the
Luttinger theorem and particle-hole symmetry
05
Md Shafayat Hossain is an Assistant Professor in the MSE department at UCLA. Prior to joining UCLA on July 2025, he was a lecturer and postdoctoral associate in the Department of Physics at Princeton University. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering & Materials Science from Princeton, where he was a Fellow in Natural Sciences & Engineering and a University Administrative Fellow. His research uses scanning tunneling microscopy, quantum transport, and optical techniques to explore quantum materials and devices. Shafayat’s work includes discovering the first room-temperature, ambient-pressure quantum state and the experimental realization of several elusive quantum phases such as Bloch ferromagnetism, Pomeranchuk instability, hybrid topology, and topological excitonic insulators. His research has been published in Nature, Nature Physics, Nature Materials, and Physical Review Letters. He also received various accolades, including the Princeton School of Engineering & Applied Science Award for Excellence (2019) and the APS Distinguished Student Award (2020). Shafayat is currently focused on identifying and engineering quantum effects in industry-friendly materials to make room-temperature quantum electronics a reality. Beyond academic work, Shafayat is passionate about science outreach. He initiated hands-on programs for visually impaired students in the East Coast area and now serves as an APS Career Mentoring Fellow.
PI Bio
Past Appointments
Lecturer
Dept. of Physics, Princeton University
September 2024 - July 2025
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dept. of Physics, Princeton University
Nov 2020 - July 2024
Graduate Researcher/Fellow
Dept. of ECE, Princeton University
Jun 2016 - Present
Lecturer
Bangladesh Univ. of Eng. & Tech. (BUET)
2013- 2014
Updated: April 2025
CV of Md Shafayat Hossain
Group Members
Aviram Valla Levine
PhD Researcher (from Fall 2025)
Eric Yeh
PhD Researcher (from Fall 2025)
Pochang Chen
MS Researcher (from Fall 2025)
Chun-Tung Lien
MS Researcher (from Fall 2025)
Abiral Shakya
Undergraduate Researcher (Princeton Univ.)
Qiulin Zheng
Undergraduate Researcher (Univ. of Southern California)
Asya Anderson
Undergraduate Researcher (Princeton Univ.)
Lab Facilities
Sample Prep
Glovebox, Transfer Stage
Spectroscopy
STM (coming soon)
Lab Space
Where the work happens
Photocurrent Microscopy
Under development
Prospects of Job Placements
The fields of materials science and quantum technology are undergoing unprecedented growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nearly 10,000 new jobs in materials science and engineering by 2033—outpacing growth across most physical science disciplines. Meanwhile, the global quantum industry faces a critical talent gap, with only one qualified worker for every three job openings (McKinsey & Co.).
At Q MIND, we are training the next generation of researchers to lead in these high-demand areas.
As a graduate student or postdoc in our group, you will:
Work at the intersection of quantum physics, materials science, and machine learning
Gain hands-on experience with advanced experimental tools, including scanning tunneling microscopy and device fabrication
Prepare for careers in academia, national labs, and quantum-enabled industries
Skills & Techniques Used in the Group
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
Electrical Transport
Thermal Transport
Optoelectronic Transport
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy
Quasiparticle Interference
Nanodevice Fabrication
Cleanroom Work
van der Waals Heterostructure
Glovebox Work
Quantum Materials
Leadership
Mentoring
low-T Techniques
+ More
Innovation
We value creative thinking as the foundation of groundbreaking research, constantly pushing boundaries to explore the unknown.
Professionalism
We treat all team members as respected colleagues, fostering an inclusive and professional environment.
Perseverance
We embrace challenges as learning opportunities, knowing that impactful research requires resilience and patience.
Support
We support each other in developing the confidence to present, critique, and refine our work with clarity and openness.
Collaboration
We thrive on interdisciplinary exchange, encouraging open dialogue and shared expertise to drive discovery.
Frequently asked questions
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How does the group measure success?
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