People

Dr. Dawei Zhai received a bachelor’s degree in applied physics from Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) in 2012, and a PhD degree in condensed matter theory from Ohio University (OU) in 2018. He joined the physics department at HKU in 2019.

Dr Zhai is interested in the electronic, topological, transport, optical, and mechanical properties of various 2D materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, etc. His recent focus is on superlattice structures, for instance, moiré lattice formed by twisting two layers of 2D materials, or periodically strained 2D materials. Interesting physics can emerge due to the spatially periodic landscapes in these superlattices, including flat bands and correlation-driven phenomena, topological physics, real-space Berry phases effects, chirality-related transport phenomena, moiré exciton, etc.

1. “Topological flat bands in strained graphene: substrate engineering and optical control”, M. T. Mahmud, D. Zhai, and N. Sandler, Nano Lett. 23, 7725 (2023)

2. “Single photon emitters with polarization and orbital angular momentum locking in monolayer semiconductors”, D. Zhang, D. Zhai, S. Deng, W. Yao, and Q. Zhu, Nano Lett. 23, 3851 (2023)

3.  

   “Time-Reversal Even Charge Hall Effect from Twisted Interface Coupling”, D. Zhai, C. Chen, C. Xiao, and W. Yao, Nat. Commun. 14, 1961 (2023)

4.  

   “Anomalous magneto-optical response and chiral interface of dipolar excitons at twisted valleys”, H. Zheng, D. Zhai, and W. Yao, Nano Lett. 22, 5466 (2022)

5.  

   “Ultrafast control of moiré pseudo-electromagnetic field in homobilayer semiconductors”, D. Zhai and W. Yao, Nat. Sci. 2, e20210101 (2022)

6.  

   “Twist versus heterostrain control of optical properties of moiré exciton minibands”, H. Zheng, D. Zhai, and W. Yao, 2D Mater. 8, 044016 (2021)

7.  

   “Layer pseudospin dynamics and genuine non-Abelian Berry phase in inhomogeneously strained moiré “, D. Zhai and W. Yao, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 266404 (2020)

8.  

   “Theory of tunable flux lattices in the homobilayer moiré of twisted and uniformly strained transition metal dichalcogenides”, D. Zhai and W. Yao, Phys. Rev. Materials 4, 094002 (2020)