Nai-Chang Yeh ( zh, t=葉乃裳; born 1961) is a

Taiwanese-American Taiwanese Americans ( Chinese: 臺灣裔美國人; pinyin: ''Táiwān yì měiguó rén''; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ''Tâi-Bí-jîn'') are Americans of Taiwanese ancestry, including American-born descendants of migrants from the Republic of China (Taiwan) ...

physicist specializing in experimental

condensed matter physics Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid State of matter, phases, that arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms and elec ...

Early life and education

She was born and grew up in Chiayi,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and received her

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

(B.S.) from

National Taiwan University National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...

in the capital

Taipei City , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Countr ...

in 1983. She went to the US for graduate education and obtained her Ph.D. in physics in 1988 from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT). In a personal statement on her life and career, Yeh has described her childhood intellectual and artistic curiosity leading her to excel academically. She credits her mother, a mathematics professor, and her Ph.D. supervisor Professor Mildred Dresselhaus as role models who helped to give her confidence in her ability to succeed in physics.

Career and research

Her research emphasis is the fundamental physical properties of strongly correlated electronic systems. She is best known for her work on a variety of

superconductors Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in superconductors: materials where electrical resistance vanishes and magnetic fields are expelled from the material. Unlike an ordinary metallic conductor, whose resistance decreases ...

, magnetic materials, and superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures. She is also interested in the physics and applications of low-dimensional electronic systems such as graphene and carbon nanotubes. She contributed to the development of a faster technique to produce high-quality graphene. Her experimental techniques include development of various cryogenic scanning probe microscopes for applications to nano-science and technology, as well as superconducting resonator technologies that have been applied to high-resolution studies of

superfluid Superfluidity is the characteristic property of a fluid with zero viscosity which therefore flows without any loss of kinetic energy. When stirred, a superfluid forms vortex, vortices that continue to rotate indefinitely. Superfluidity occurs ...

phase transitions and

Bose–Einstein condensation Bose–Einstein may refer to: * Bose–Einstein condensate, a phase of matter in quantum mechanics ** Bose–Einstein condensation (network theory), the application of this model in network theory ** Bose–Einstein condensation of polaritons ** B ...

in helium gas. She also works on exploring properties of topological insulators. She is Professor of

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and the Fletcher Jones Foundation Co-Director of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...

. Yeh was the first female professor in that department when she joined in 1989. She is also part of the Caltech Institute for Quantum Information and Matter. She is currently a Chair Professor at

National Taiwan Normal University National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) is a National university, national comprehensive university in Taipei and New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university enrolls approximately 17,000 students each year. Approximately 1,600 students are Intern ...

Awards and recognition

She has been recognized by a number of professional associations: *Fellow,

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

; *Fellow,

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

; *Fellow and Chartered Physicist, The

Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based not-for-profit learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, physics research, research and applied physics, application. It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide ...

, UK; *David and Lucile Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering; * Sloan Research Fellow; *Academician,

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...

She was lauded in ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine on November 18, 1991, as a scientific "rising star" in California.''Time Magazine'' "Galaxy of Stars" in Special Issue on California, Vol. 138 #20, P.73, Nov 18, 1991. She is cited in the American Men and Women of Science.

References

葉乃裳教授專訪 (Interview with Professor Yeh Nai-Chang)
(2007-9-1), Department of Physics,

, 2008

External links

California Institute of Technology faculty page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yeh, Nai-Chang American people of Taiwanese descent American people of Chinese descent American women physicists Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Living people 1961 births Taiwanese women physicists 21st-century American physicists People from Chiayi National Taiwan University alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society Sloan Research Fellows California Institute of Technology faculty American women academics 21st-century American women scientists