Overview
Chi's research interest is on designing better materials by advancing our knowledge of the behavior of atoms, electrons, and ions in materials using novel electron microscopy, for applications in energy, sustainability, and microelectronics.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
·
2023 - Present
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science,
Pratt School of Engineering
Recent Publications
Ultralow-temperature cryogenic transmission electron microscopy using a new helium flow cryostat stage.
Journal Article Ultramicroscopy · February 2026 Advances in cryogenic electron microscopy have opened new avenues for probing quantum phenomena in correlated materials. This study reports the installation and performance of a new side-entry condenZero cryogenic cooling system for JEOL (Scanning) Transmi ... Full text CiteIncommensurate Transverse Peierls Transition and Signature of Chiral Charge Density Wave in EuAl<sub>4</sub>.
Journal Article Nature communications · November 2025 In one-dimensional quantum materials, electrons and lattices can undergo a Peierls transition, a translational symmetry-breaking instability traditionally understood through electron coupling to longitudinal acoustic phonons. Recently, this paradigm has be ... Full text CiteMagnetic Phase Diagram of 2D Magnet Fe<sub>5-<i>x</i></sub>GeTe<sub>2</sub> Revealed by Cryogenic Lorentz 4D-STEM.
Journal Article Nano letters · October 2025 A two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet Fe5-xGeTe2 (F5GT) exhibits room-temperature magnetic transition and magnetic anisotropy. Studies have identified diverse magnetic states, including stripe domains, skyrmionic type-I a ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Collaborative Research: DMREF:NSF-NSERC: Data-Driven Multi-Element Doping for Optimally Controlled Ion-Electron Conduction
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2025 - 2029Collaborative Research: GCR: Non-Equilibrium Electrochemical Plasma Catalysis for Distributed Electrified Ammonia Synthesis
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2029ESRA Energy Storage Research Alliance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Argonne National Laboratory · 2024 - 2028View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of California, Davis ·
2008
Ph.D.