Menu
Close
Sign up for NPL updates
Close
Sign up for NPL updates

Receive regular emails from NPL to get a glimpse of our activities and see how our experts are informing and influencing scientific debate

Nathaniel J. Huáng

Nathaniel J. Huáng

Senior scientist

Nathaniel J. Huáng (黄健) is a person of science and technological innovation, a hands-on physicist taking immense enjoyment from testing out theories and new ideas, investigating novel phenomena and effects in the lab, and from sharing work to advance knowledge and understanding. He is always curious, and always passionate about new theoretical, experimental, and quantitative research to extend the frontiers of science, technology, and business.

Born in Northeast China, Nathaniel received his BSc in Engineering Physics with First Class Honours from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2012, with a thesis on pulsed laser deposition and characterisation of ferroelectric thin films, under the supervision of Professor Helen L. W. Chan. He completed his DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Oxford in 2016, on magnetotransport studies on graphene and related two-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures at low temperatures and high magnetic fields, under the supervision of Professor Robin J. Nicholas. This was followed by his postdoctoral research in Oxford, focusing on high magnetic field effects on optoelectronic and vibronic properties of macromolecules and their nanostructures, during which time he designed and set up an optical fibre based magneto-optical measurement system which enables various optical measurements at high magnetic fields and low temperatures.

Since joining NPL, Nathaniel has led and delivered a wide range of fundamental research, commercial R&D, and standardisation projects that are centred around graphene and related two-dimensional systems, and other quantum and nano- materials, building on from active and solid collaborations with universities, research institutes, companies, and public bodies.

He is currently working on probing light-matter interaction and quantum transport properties in low-dimensional quantum materials and nanostructures such as 2D materials and nanowires, using a combination of techniques including scanning near-field optical microscopy, nano-infrared microscopy, photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy, low temperatures and high magnetic fields, for both fundamental understanding and their potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and polaritonics.

Nathaniel serves as a committee/panel member and subject-matter expert of the British Standards Institution (BSI) in nanotechnologies and quantum technology, and of the UK National Committee and the Technical Committee TC 113 (Nanotechnology for Electrotechnical Products and Systems) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). He is also a Member of the Institute of Physics (MInstP).

His peer-reviewed publications in condensed matter physics, nano- and quantum materials have been cited over 1,750 times since 2014.

Areas of interest

Nathaniel’s research has involved a wide range of topics in condensed matter physics, nano- and quantum technologies and materials. Key topics are:

  • Electronic, optoelectronic, and polaritonic properties of graphene and related 2D systems, as well as other low-dimensional and topological quantum materials
  • Magneto-transport and magneto-optical measurements of low-dimensional systems at cryogenic temperatures and ultrahigh magnetic fields
  • Advanced functional scanning probe spectroscopy and microscopy
  • Semiconductor nanostructures and nanodevices, novel micro/nano-fabrication processes and characterisation techniques
  • Renewable energy, photovoltaics based on organic, carbon, perovskite, and 2D materials

Beyond his main research, Nathaniel is also very interested in the related topics below:

  • Other quantum technologies such as quantum metrology, quantum computing and its applications
  • Quantitative, statistical, and computational methods including artificial intelligence for basic and applied research
  • Interdisciplinary frontiers where physics meets other areas of sciences and technologies

Email Nathaniel J. Huáng

Selected publications:

  1. “Good Practice Guide on the electrical characterisation of graphene using non-contact and high-throughput methods”. A. Catanzaro, N. J. Huang, C. Melios, L. Hao, J. Gallop, I. Arnedo, D. Etayo, E. Taboada, A. Cultrera, and O. Kazakova. 16NRM01 EMPIR GRACE Consortium, 2020. Edited by A. Fabricius, A. Cultrera and A. Catanzaro. ISBN: 978-88-945324-2-5.
  2. “Towards standardisation of contact and contactless electrical measurements of CVD graphene at the macro-, micro- and nano-scale”. C. Melios, N. Huang, L. Callegaro, A. Centeno, A. Cultrera, A. Cordon, V. Panchal, I. Arnedo, A. Redo-Sanchez, D. Etayo, M. Fernandez, A. Lopez, S. Rozhko, O. Txoperena, A. Zurutuza, and O. Kazakova. Scientific Reports 10, 3223 (2020).
  3. “Multi-band magnetotransport in exfoliated thin films of CuxBi2Se3”. J. A. Alexander-Webber, J. Huang, J. Beilsten-Edmands, P. Čermák, Č Drašar, R. J. Nicholas, and A. I. Coldea. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 30, 155302 (2018).
  4. “Magnetotransport in graphene and related two-dimensional systems”. N. J. Huang. University of Oxford, 2016.
  5. “Giant quantum Hall plateaus generated by charge transfer in epitaxial graphene”. J. A. Alexander-Webber, J. Huang, D. K. Maude, T. J. B. M. Janssen, A. Tzalenchuk, V. Antonov, T. Yager, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, R. Yakimova, and R. J. Nicholas. Scientific Reports 6, 30296 (2016).
  6. “Structured organic-inorganic perovskite toward a distributed feedback laser”. M. Saliba, S. M.Wood, J. B. Patel, P. K. Nayak, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, B. Wenger, S. D. Stranks, M. T. Hörantner, J. T.-W. Wang, R. J. Nicholas, L. M. Herz, M. B. Johnston, S. M. Morris, H. J. Snaith, and M. K. Riede. Advanced Materials 28, 923 (2016).
  7. “Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells by Metal Ion Doping”. J. T.-W. Wang, Z. Wang, S. Pathak, W. Zhang, D. W. deQuilettes, F. Wisnivesky, J. Huang, P. Nayak, J. Patel, H. Yusof, Y. Vaynzof, R. Zhu, I. Ramirez, J. Zhang, C. Ducati, C. Grovenor, M. B. Johnston, D. S. Ginger, R. J. Nicholas, and Henry J. Snaith. Energy & Environmental Science 9, 2892 (2016).
  8. “Physics of a disordered Dirac point in epitaxial graphene from temperature-dependent magnetotransport measurements”. J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, A. M. R. Baker, T. J. B. M. Janssen, A. Tzalenchuk, V. Antonov, T. Yager, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, R. Yakimova, and R. J. Nicholas. Physical Review B 92, 075407 (2015).
  9. “Rapid epitaxy-free graphene synthesis on silicidated polycrystalline platinum”. V. Babenko, A. T. Murdock, A. A. Koós, J. Britton, A. Crossley, P. Holdway, J. Moffat, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, R. J. Nicholas, and N. Grobert. Nature Communications 6, 7536 (2015).
  10. “Hot carrier relaxation of Dirac fermions in bilayer epitaxial graphene”. J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, T. J. B. M. Janssen, A. Tzalenchuk, T. Yager, S. Lara-Avila, S. Kubatkin, R. L. Myers-Ward, V. D. Wheeler, D. K. Gaskill, and R. J. Nicholas. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 27, 164202 (2015).
  11. “Engineering nanostructures by binding single molecules to single-walled carbon nanotubes”. J. J. Sharkey, S. D. Stranks, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, and R. J. Nicholas. ACS Nano 8, 12748 (2014).
  12. “Low-temperature processed electron collection layers of graphene/TiO2 nanocomposites in thin film perovskite solar cells”. J. T.-W. Wang, J. M. Ball, E. M. Barea, A. Abate, J. A. Alexander-Webber, J. Huang, M. Saliba, I. Mora-Sero, J. Bisquert, H. J. Snaith, and R. J. Nicholas. Nano Letters 14, 724 (2014).

LinkedIn

Google Scholar