Feng Wang

Professor of Physics

Feng Wang received his B.A. from Fudan University in Shanghai in 1999 before pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2004. From 2005 to 2007, he was a Miller Research Fellow at the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2007, he joined the UC Berkeley physics faculty.

Wang’s research focuses on light–matter interactions in condensed matter systems, with particular emphasis on novel physical phenomena that emerge at the nanoscale and at material surfaces and interfaces. His group studies how electrons and phonons behave when confined within nanometer-scale structures, where their properties can differ dramatically from those observed in bulk materials.

To investigate these phenomena, the Wang Group develops and applies advanced laser spectroscopy techniques capable of probing individual nanostructures with femtosecond time resolution across a broad spectral range spanning the far-infrared to ultraviolet. These tools allow the group to explore the ultrafast dynamics of excited states and interactions in low-dimensional quantum materials.

One major area of Wang’s research is graphene optics. His group investigates the tunable optical and optoelectronic properties of graphene and related two-dimensional materials using sensitive infrared spectroscopy techniques. Their work examines phenomena such as electro-optic effects, interlayer coupling, electron dynamics, and electron-phonon interactions in atomically thin systems.

Another focus is the optical spectroscopy of individual carbon nanotubes. By studying nanotubes one at a time, his group seeks to understand how subtle structural differences influence their electronic and optical behavior. Their work includes the development of nonlinear optical probes to study coherent excitations, optical Stark effects, and carrier transport dynamics in one-dimensional materials.

Wang’s group also studies plasmonics, where collective electronic excitations in metallic nanostructures concentrate electromagnetic energy at the nanoscale. This research explores how plasmon resonances can enhance nonlinear optical responses and enable ultrasensitive detection techniques such as single-molecule Raman spectroscopy.

In addition, his research investigates oxide surfaces and interfaces using nonlinear spectroscopic approaches such as sum-frequency generation. These techniques provide unique insight into buried interfaces and enable the study of electronic structure, lattice vibrations, and charge–lattice coupling in complex oxide systems.

Through these efforts, Wang’s work advances the understanding of nanoscale quantum materials and their interactions with light, contributing to developments in condensed matter physics, optoelectronics, and nanotechnology.