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Xiao-Jia ChenXiao-Jia Chen

M.D. Anderson Professor
Department of Physics

Office: Houston Science Center, 342
Contact: xjchen@uh.edu - 713-743-2250

Education: Ph.D., Zhejiang University, China

Google Scholar Profile

Dr. Xiao-Jia Chen is a professor in Department of Physics and a principal investigator in Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH. His research focuses on the exploration and discovery of quantum materials with novel properties such as superconductivity, quantum criticality, topology, and thermoelectricity or some combinations like topological superconductivity or topological thermoelectricity through experimental and theoretical efforts. The research is aimed to understand the fundamental physics of such complex quantum phenomena and find the workable routes for their technological applications.

His research group is working on the following projects:

  1. The search and synthesis of organic materials with potential high-temperature superconductivity, topological order, and spin liquid, etc.
  2. The finding of high- or room temperature superconductivity in hydrogen-rich systems at high pressures and its capture at ambient or near-ambient pressure.
  3. The study and understanding of the mechanism(s) of superconductivity and its competition and/or collaborations with various orders in cuprates, iron pnictides and chalcogenides, transition-metal dichalcogenides, and nickelates by using multiple techniques with the emphasis of the role of pressure.
  4. The study and exploration of the intrinsic connections among thermoelectric performance, topological order, superconductivity, and topological superconductivity through the developments of detection and identification methods.
  1. Pressure effect of the charge density wave transition on Raman spectra and transport properties of 2H-NbSe2, Z. Y. Cao, K. Zhang, A. F. Goncharov, X. J. Yang, Z. A. Xu, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 107, 245125 (2023).
  2. Universal phonon softening in the pseudogap state of Tl2Ba2Can−1CunO2n+4+δ, J. W. Hu, K. Zhang, Y. C. Ma, N. L. Wang, V. V. Struzhkin, A. F. Goncharov, H. Q. Lin, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 107, 224508 (2023).
  3. Full set of superconducting parameters for K3C60, R. S. Wang, D. Peng, L. N. Zong, Z. W. Zhu, and X. J. Chen, Carbon 202, 325-335 (2023).
  4. Thermal conductivity of materials under pressure, Y. Zhou, Z. Y. Dong, W. P. Hsieh, A. F. Goncharov, and X. J. Chen, Nature Reviews Physics 4, 319 (2022).
  5. Electronic Topological Transition as a Route to Improve Thermoelectric Performance in Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3, F. X. Bai, H. Yu, Y. K. Peng, S. Li, L. Yin, G. Huang, L. C. Chen, A. F. Goncharov, J. H. Sui, F. Cao, J. Mao, Q. Zhang, and X. J. Chen, Advanced Science 2105709 (2022).
  6. Memory of pressure-induced superconductivity in a phase-change alloy, G. Huang, Z. Y. Cao, T. R. Wei, A. F. Goncharov, K. Glazyrin, H. Yu, X. Shi, L. D. Chen, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 103, 174515 (2021).
  7. Exploring high-temperature superconductivity in hard matter close to structural instability, X. J. Chen, Matter Radiat. Extremes 5, 068102 (2020).
  8. Pressure tuning of the charge density wave and superconductivity in 2H-TaS2, X. M. Zhao, K. Zhang, Z. Y. Cao, Z. W. Zhao, V. V. Struzhkin, A. F. Goncharov, H. K. Wang, A. G. Gavriliuk, H. K. Mao, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 101, 134506 (2020).
  9. Superconductivity in an organometallic compound, R. S. Wang, L. C. Chen, H. Yang, M. A. Fu, J. Cheng, X. L. Wu, Y. Gao, Z. B. Huang, and X. J. Chen, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 21, 25976-25981 (2019).
  10. Enhancement of thermoelectric performance across the topological phase transition in dense lead selenide, L. C. Chen, P. Q. Chen, W. J. Li, Q. Zhang, V. V. Struzhkin, A. F. Goncharov, Z. F. Ren, and X. J. Chen, Nature Materials 18, 1321-1326 (2019).
  11. Superconductivity and phase stability of potassium-doped p-quinquephenyl, G. Huang, G. H. Zhong, R. S. Wang, J. X. Han, H. Q. Lin, and X. J. Chen, Carbon 143, 837-843 (2019).
  12. Superconductivity and phase stability of potassium-intercalated p-quaterphenyl, J. F. Yan, G. H. Zhong, R. S. Wang, K. Zhang, H. Q. Lin, and X. J. Chen, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 10, 40-47 (2019).
  13. Nontrivial metallic state of MoS2, Z. Y. Cao, J. W. Hu, A. F. Goncharov, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 97, 214509 (2018).
  14. Large enhancement of thermoelectric performance in CuInTe2 upon compression, H. Yu, L. C. Chen, H. J. Pang, X. Y. Qin, P. F. Qiu, X. Shi, L. D. Chen, and X. J. Chen, Materials Today Physics 5, 1 (2018).
  15. Solids, liquids, and gases under high pressure, H. K. Mao, X. J. Chen, Y. Ding, B. Li, and L. Wang, Review of Modern Physics 90, 015007 (2018).
  16. Realization of insulating state and superconductivity in the Rashba semiconductor BiTeCl, J. J. Ying, V. V. Struzhkin, Z. Y. Cao, A. F. Goncharov, H. K. Mao, F. Chen, X. H. Chen, A. G Gavriliuk, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 93, 100504(R) (2016).
  17. Superconducting properties of sulfur-doped iron selenide, M. Abdel-Hafiez, Y. Y. Zhang, Z. Y. Cao, C. G. Duan, G. Karapetrov, V. M. Pudalov, V. A. Vlasenko, A. V. Sadakov, D. A. Knyazev, T. A. Romanova, D. A. Chareev, O. S. Volkova, A. N. Vasiliev, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review B 91, 165109 (2015).
  18. Pressure-induced metallization of molybdenum disulfide, Z. H. Chi, X. M. Zhao, H. D. Zhang, A. F. Goncharov, S. S. Lobanov, T. Kagayama, M. Sakata, and X. J. Chen, Physical Review Letters 113, 036802 (2014).
  19. Re-emerging superconductivity at 48 kelvin in iron chalcogenides, L. L. Sun, X. J. Chen, J. Guo, P. W. Gao, Q. Z. Huang, H. D. Wang, M. H. Fang, X. L. Chen, G. F. Chen, Q. Wu, C. Zhang, D. C. Gu, X. L. Dong, L. Wang, K. Yang, A. G. Li, X. Dai, H. K. Mao, and Z. X. Zhao, Nature 483, 67 (2012).
  20. β-tin→Imma→sh phase transitions of germanium, X. J. Chen, C. Zhang, Y. Meng, R. Q. Zhang, H. Q. Lin, V. V. Struzhkin, and H. K. Mao, Physical Review Letters 106, 135502 (2011).
  21. Enhancement of superconductivity by pressure-driven competition in electronic order, X. J. Chen, V. V. Struzhkin, Y. Yu, A. F. Goncharov, C. T. Lin, H. K. Mao, and R. J. Hemley, Nature 466, 950 (2010).
  22. Superconducting behavior in compressed solid SiH4 with a layered structure, X. J. Chen, J. L. Wang, V. V. Struzhkin, H. K. Mao, R. J. Hemley, and H. Q. Lin, Physical Review Letters 101, 077002 (2008).
  23. Pressure-induced metallization of silane, X. J. Chen, V. V. Struzhkin, Y. Song, A. F. Goncharov, M. Ahart, Z. X. Liu, H. K. Mao, and R. J. Hemley, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.105, 20 (2008).
  24. Phonon-mediated superconducting transitions in layered cuprate superconductors, X. J. Chen, V. V. Struzhkin, Z. G. Wu, R. J. Hemley, H. K. Mao, and H. Q. Lin, Physical Review B 75, 134504 (2007).
  25. Unified picture of the oxygen isotope effect in cuprate superconductors, X. J. Chen, V. V. Struzhkin, Z. G. Wu, H. Q. Lin, R. J. Hemley, and H. K. Mao, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.104, 3732 (2007).
  26. Metal-insulator transition above room temperature in maximum colossal magnetoresistance manganite thin films, X. J. Chen, H. U. Habermeier, H. Zhang, G. Gu, M. V. J. Santamaria, and C. C. Almasan, Physical Review B 72, 104403 (2005).
  27. Variation of the superconducting transition temperature of hole-doped copper oxides, X. J. Chen and H. Q. Lin, Physical Review B 69, 104518 (2004); 71, 109901 (2005).
  28. High-pressure phase diagram of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals, X. J. Chen, V. V. Struzhkin, R. J. Hemley, H. K. Mao, and C. Kendziora, Physical Review B 70, 214502 (2004).
  29. Effects of pressure on the superconducting properties of magnesium diboride, X. J. Chen, H. Zhang, and H.-U. Habermeier, Physical Review B 65, 144514 (2002).
  30. Pressure Dependence of Tc in Y-Ba-Cu-O Superconductors, X. J. Chen, H. Q. Lin, and C. D. Gong, Physical Review Letters 85, 2180 (2000).

Honors & Awards

  • 2022 - Natural Science Award of Beijing, China, 2nd Place
  • 1999 - Keli Research Excellence Award (Nanjing University, China)
  • 1995-1997 - Best Ph.D. Thesis Award of Zhejiang University, China