Bio
Dr. An-Ping Li is the Leader of the Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Group and the Heterogeneities in Quantum Materials Theme within the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Dr. Li earned his Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from Peking University in 1997, focusing on the optoelectronic properties of nanomaterials. He pursued postdoctoral research as an MPI Fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute in Halle, Germany, working on the self-assembly of ordered nanostructures. In 1999, he joined Michigan State University’s Center for Sensor Materials as a visiting scholar, developing thin-film crystalline diamond growth. After a stint at the start-up company Galian Photonics in Vancouver, Canada, where he worked on photonic crystal technologies, he returned to the U.S. and joined ORNL in 2002.
At ORNL, Dr. Li advanced from Research Associate to Distinguished Research Staff. He also holds a joint appointment with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he serves as a Joint Faculty Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. His impactful publications span fundamental materials science and condensed matter physics.
Dr. Li’s research focuses on the synthesis and fundamental properties of low-dimensional and quantum materials for energy and quantum information applications. His expertise lies in advanced techniques such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), molecular beam epitaxy, and controlled on-surface chemical reactions.
Research Areas:
- Electronic and Transport Properties in Low-Dimensional Quantum Materials:
Combining STM and transport measurements, Dr. Li investigates structure-property relationships at the atomic scale. He develops novel techniques, including spin-polarized STM, spin-polarized 4-probe STM, and scanning tunneling thermopower microscopy, to probe electronic, spin, and thermoelectric properties. - Controlled Synthesis of Low-Dimensional Materials:
Dr. Li synthesizes and characterizes 2D materials, thin films, and nanostructures using techniques like molecular beam epitaxy and and a variety of substrate assisted- and self-assembly processes, exploring their electronic, magnetic, and optical properties. - Magnetism and Electronic Inhomogeneity in Correlated Materials:
Imaging and manipulating electronic phases near critical transitions, Dr. Li studies quantum transport in topological, magnetic, and superconducting systems, from mesoscopic to atomic scales.
Awards
AVS Fellow, 2017
Performance Award, ORNL, 2015
Significant Event Award for Outstanding Research (SEA), ORNL, 2014
CNMS (inaugural) Division Award for Distinguished User Research, ORNL, 2014
Performance Award, ORNL, 2013
Max Planck Society Fellowship, Max Plank Society, Germany, 1997
Trademarks and Patents
"Method for Error Correction in Scanning Tunneling Microscope Data” Xiaoguang Zhang, An-Ping Li, Yunmei Chen, Hao Zhang, Xianqi Li”, US Patent, US 10,670,625, June 2020.
“In-situ Scanning Tunneling Microscope Tip Treatment Device for Spin Polarization Imaging,” An-Ping Li, Jianxing Ma, and Jian Shen, US patent, US 7,361,893, 2008.