Dr. Zhang received a B.S. in Optical Information Science and Technology from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2008, a Master’s degree in Condensed Matter Physics from Peking University in 2011, and a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 2016. After a short-term postdoc at UC-Berkeley, he joined the Quantum Simulation Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a postdoctoral research staff member in 2017 and worked there until joining LLE in 2019. His research is mainly in using theoretical tools to elucidate the extreme physics of matter that are relevant to high-energy-density experiments, inertial confinement fusion, and Earth and planetary science applications. The tools include state-of-the-art path integral Monte Carlo, auxiliary field quantum Monte Carlo, density functional theory, and first-principles molecular dynamics, among others.
Openings for Ph.D. students are available in advanced simulations of materials at extreme conditions. Applicants with outstanding academic records and strong commitment are welcome to contact Dr. Zhang for details.