Condensed Matter Physics, Low temperature physics

2017.09~now, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Assistant Professor
2013.12~2017.08, University of Alberta, Canada, Postdoctoral Fellow
2013.05~2013.11, Pennsylvania State University, United State, Postdoctoral Fellow

[1]  Z. G. Cheng and J. Beamish “Defect motion in a quantum solid with spin : hcp ³He” Phys. Rev. B, 95, 180103(R) (2017)
[2]  Z. G. Cheng and J. Beamish “Compression-driven mass flow in bulk solid ⁴He” Phys. Rev. Lett., 117, 025301 (2016) (selected as Editor’s Suggestion).
[3]  Z. G. Cheng^*, F. Souris, and J. Beamish “Shear modulus and dislocations in bcc solid ³He” J. Low Temp. Phys., 183, 99 (2016).
[4]  Z. G. Cheng^*, J. Beamish, A. D. Fefferman, F. Souris, S. Balibar, and V. Dauvois “Helium mass flow through a solid-superfluid-solid junction” Phys. Rev. Lett., 114, 165301 (2015).
[5]  Z. G. Cheng, N. Mulders, and M. H. W. Chan^* “Heat capacity of solid ⁴He and ³He-⁴He mixture grown in aerogel” Phys. Rev. B, 90, 224101 (2014).
[6]  Z. G. Cheng and M. H. W. Chan^* “Threefold reduction in thermal conductivity of Vycor glass due to adsorption of liquid ⁴He” New J. Phys., 15, 063030 (2013).
[7]  J. T. West, X. Lin, Z. G. Cheng, and M. H. W. Chan “Supersolid behavior in confined geometry” Phys. Rev. Lett., 102, 185302 (2009).
[8]  X. Lin, A. C. Clark, Z. G. Cheng, and M. H. W. Chan “Heat capacity peak in solid ⁴He: Effects of disorder and ³He impurities” Phys. Rev. Lett., 102, 125302 (2009).    

Ultralow temperature physics, Quantum information and computation in solid states, quantum fluids and solids

Previous Research

Helium is the smallest monoatomic molecule with extremely large zero-point motion and relatively weak van der Waals interaction. This provides liquid and solid helium unique quantumness at ultralow temperatures, leading to the term “quantum fluids and solids (QFS)”. QFS has always been the core part of research in condensed matter. Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to the related works six times in the past.I have been working on QFS experimentally using dilution refrigerators, mainly focusing on superflow in quantum solids, defect motions, and thermodynamic properties.

Current Research Topics

Helium is the smallest monoatomic molecule with extremely large zero-point motion and relatively weak van der Waals interaction. This provides liquid and solid helium unique quantumness at ultralow temperatures, leading to the term “quantum fluids and solids (QFS)”. QFS has always been the core part of research in condensed matter. Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to the related works six times in the past.I have been working on QFS experimentally using dilution refrigerators, mainly focusing on superflow in quantum solids, defect motions, and thermodynamic properties.

1.    We firstly observed the possible evidence of mass flow in solid 4He.
2.    We firstly found thermodynamic signature of motions of defects and impurities in quantum solids via specific heat measurements.
3.    We firstly observed the abnormal reduction of thermal conductivity in porous amorphous material due to adsorption of liquid helium, providing a strong evidence of interactions between quantum fluids and amorphous materials at ultralow temperatures. 

• Metallurgy of a quantum solids: Plastic deformation of hcp 4He,  The 28th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics, Gothenburg, Sweden, Aug. 2017

• Exploring the nature of mass transport in quantum solids, International Conference on Ultra low temperature Physics, Heidelberg, Germany, Aug. 2017

• Probing the 3He distribution in coexisting liquid and solid 4He, American Physics Society March Meeting, New Orleans, Lousianna, USA, March, 2017

• Defect motion in quantum solids with spins, International Conference on Quantum Fluids and Solids, Prague, Czech Republic, Aug, 2016

• Compression-driven mass flow in solid 4He, American Physics Society March Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, March, 2016

• Helium mass flow through a solid-liquid-solid junction, American Physics Society March Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, 2015