Assistant Professor

Research Interests

My group focuses on intriguing effects induced by inversion symmetry breaking in condensed matters, such as the novel energy conversion effects and nonlinear transports. Inversion asymmetry, either inherent or mediated by external stimuli, would induce exotic effects in materials which are otherwise prohibited in the centrosymmetric system. This would not only cross-fertilize research fields that are largely decoupled but also establish new paradigms for technology, such as energy harvesting and information memory. My research topics mainly includes:

• Development of novel symmetry engineering methodology.
• Nonlinear quantum transport
• Nolinear photovoltaic effects.
• Piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects.
• Development of SPM-based characterization.

Materials of interests include oxide crystals and thin films, oxide interfaces, 2D layered materials and van der Waals heterostructures, etc.

Education & Working Experience

• Oct. 2021 - Present: Assistant Professor, University of Warwick
• Mar. 2021 - Sep. 2021: Special Postdoctoral Researcher, CEMS, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
• Feb. 2020 - Mar. 2021: Postdoctoral Researcher, CEMS, RIKEN, Wako, Japan
• Apr. 2018 - Feb.2020: Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick
• Sept. 2014 - Feb. 2018: PhD in Physics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick
• Sept. 2011 - Jun. 2014: Master, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
• Sept. 2007 - Jun. 2011: Bachelor, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China

Selected Publications

• Ming-Min Yang, Zheng-Dong Luo, Zhou Mi, Jinjin Zhao, Sharel Pei E, Marin Alexe, “Piezoelectric and Pyroelectric Effects Induced by Interface Polar Symmetry” Nature 583, 377 (2020)
• Ming-Min Yang, Marin Alexe, “Solar Energy Harvested with Nanotubes”, Nature 570, 310 (2019).
• Ming-Min Yang, Affan N. Iqbal, Jonathan J. P. Peter, Ana M. Sanchez, Marin Alexe, “Strain-Gradient Mediated Local Conduction in Strained Bismuth Ferrite Films”, Nature Communications 10, 2791 (2019).
• Zheng-Dong Luo, Dae-Sung Park, Ming-Min Yang*, Marin Alexe, “Light-Controlled Nanoscopic Writing of Electronic Memories Using the Tip-Enhanced Bulk Photovoltaic Effect”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 11, 8283 (2019) (*co-corresponding author).
• Ming-Min Yang^#, Dong-Jik Kim^#, Marin Alexe, “Flexo-photovoltaic Effect”, Science 360, 904 (2018) (^#co-first author).
• Ming-Min Yang, Marin Alexe, “Light-induced Reversible Control of Ferroelectric Polarization in BiFeO₃”, Advanced Materials 30, 1704908 (2018).
• Ming-Min Yang, Akash Bhatnagar, Zheng-Dong Luo & Marin Alexe, “Enhancement of Local Photovoltaic Current at Ferroelectric Domain Walls in BiFeO₃” Scientific Reports 7, 43070 (2017).
• Ming-Min Yang, Zheng-Dong Luo, Dong-Jik Kim, Marin Alexe, “Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in Monodomain BiFeO₃ Thin Films”, Applied Physics Letters 110, 183902 (2017).
• Ming-Min Yang, Akash Bhatnagar, Marin Alexe, “Electronic Origin and Tailoring of Photovoltaic Effect in BiFeO₃ Single Crystals”, Advanced Electronic Materials. 1, 1500139 (2015).
• Ming-Min Yang, X. Q. Zhao, J. Wang, Q. X. Zhu, J. X. Zhang, X. M. Li, H. S. Luo, X. G. Li, and R. K. Zheng, “Intrinsic and quantitative effects of in-plane strain on ferroelectric properties of Mn-doped BiFeO₃ epitaxial films by in situ inducing strain in substrates”, Applied Physics Letters 104, 052902 (2014).

For the full list of my publication, please refer to my google scholar citations.

Book

• Ming-Min Yang, Marin Alexe, Chapter “Photoelectric Effects at Domain Walls” in “Domain Walls: from fundamental properties to nanotechnology concepts”, Oxford University Press, 2020 (ISBN-10: 0198862490)

Fellowship & Funding

• Special Postdoctoral Researcher (SPDR) Program, RIKEN, Japan. Annual funding: 1 million Yen (2021-2024).
• Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kahenhi), Funding: 4.68 million yen (2021-2024)

Awards

• Chancellor’s International Scholarship of University of Warwick (2014-2018).
• Faculty Thesis Prize, University of Warwick (2019).