College names Yan inaugural Frank L. and Daphna Lederman Professor
Yan, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and ECE, is a leading expert in quantum materials, devices and artificial intelligence.
College of Engineering leadership selected ECE assistant professor Xiaodong Yan as one of the inaugural holders of the endowed Frank L. and Daphna Lederman Professorships. The three-year position accelerates bold research in materials science.
Yan, who holds a joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Wyant College of Optical Sciences, investigates electronic and photonic devices based on two-dimensional materials, as well as neuromorphic computing.
In September, he received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award of $599,980 to build moiré synaptic transistors, which mimic the region of the human brain that combines memory, logic and parallel processing.
Laying the groundwork for neuromorphic computers, these brain-inspired chips are stable at room temperature, retain data without power, and consume just 20 picowatts – billions of times less power than existing neuromorphic devices.
The Yan Research Group will hire undergrads and grads to refine chip designs, scale up fabrication methods and integrate them into systems such as robots and wearable devices.
“This professorship will provide vital support to expand these efforts, train students in cutting-edge research, and strengthen the University of Arizona’s leadership in engineering and materials science.”