Yuyi Yan is currently a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is advised by Professor Felix R. Fischer. He received a B.S. in Physics from Southeast University, China, and an M.E. in Materials Physics and Chemistry from Shanghai University, where he worked under Professor Qiang Sun.
Yuyi’s doctoral research sits at the interface of chemistry, condensed matter physics, and nanoscience, with a focus on atomically precise low-dimensional materials synthesized on surfaces. Using on-surface synthesis together with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, he studies how molecular structure, lattice geometry, and interfacial effects shape the electronic properties of these systems. His broader interest is in understanding how chemically designed materials platforms can be used to access unusual electronic states in low-dimensional quantum materials.
As a Kavli ENSI fellow, Yuyi will explore new routes toward correlated electronic phases beyond conventional moiré systems by combining two-dimensional molecular lattices and metal-organic frameworks with layered transition metal dichalcogenides. His proposed research aims to use molecular design to control lattice geometry and electronic bandwidth, while taking advantage of the dielectric environment and proximity effects of adjacent TMD layers to tune electron interactions. Through this hybrid platform, he hopes to investigate flat-band physics, correlated electronic states, and related emergent phenomena in a chemically tunable setting.