Linyou Cao receives ARO Young Investigator Award

Dr. Linyou Cao, an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University, has been awarded the Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award from the Army Research Office.

The three-year award $150,000 grant will support Cao’s research on the electron-phonon coupling in two-dimensional materials. Electron-phonon coupling is one of the most fundamental many body interactions in condensed matter and plays a n important role in electronic and optical properties. The results of Cao’s research have the potential to lead to next generation lasers, light emission diodes, and photo detectors that are important for defense needs.

Cao believes a better understanding of the fundamental properties of photons and charge carriers in nanostructured materials will provide guidance for the rational design of novel devices or functional structures that can be applied to a wide variety of fields, including energy utilization, environment remediation, information technology, and biotechnology.

The ARO’s Young Investigator Program seeks to identify and support academic scientists who have received PhD or equivalent degrees within the last five years and who show exceptional promise for doing creative research.

Cao received a BS from Fudan University and an MS from Peking University, both in chemistry. He received a PhD in materials science and engineering from Stanford University in 2010 and joined the NC State faculty in 2011.