Prof. Saw-Wai Hla

Contact : Clippinger 139, Physics & Astronomy Department. Ohio University, 1 University Terrace, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA.

Tel: (+1) 740-593-1727 (office), (+1) 740-593-2951 (lab), Fax: (+1) 740-593-0433, Email: hla@ohio.edu, Web: http://people.ohio.edu/hla

Professional Experience:   

Professor, Physics & Astronomy Department, Ohio University, USA. (2011 - present)

Director, Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute [NQPI] (2023 - present).

Physicist, Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory [ANL] (2019 - present).

Director, Condensed Matter and Surface Science Program [CMSS] (2015 - 2018).

Group Leader, Quantum and Energy Materials Group, Nanoscience and Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, USA (2011 - 2019).

Visiting Professor , Chemistry Department, Universite Paul Sabatier, and CEMES, Toulouse, France (2010) [Sabbatical].

Visiting Professor , Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg, Germany. (2008 - 2009) [Prof. Roland Wiesendanger Group, Sabbatical].

Associate Professor (tenured), Physics & Astronomy Department, Ohio University (2005 - 2011).

Assisstant Professor, Physics & Astronomy Department, Ohio University (2001 - 2005).

Research:                               

Atomically precise manipulations and investigations are performed on one atom or one molecule-at-a-time basis by combining atom/molecule manipulation schemes with the most advanced scanning probe methods such as synchrotron X-ray STM (SX-STM), spin-polarized STM (SP-STM), and q+atomic force microscopy (q+AFM). Materials properties are investigated at the ultimate limits of single atom, single spin, and pico-newton force level. STM tip is utilized as an engineering tool to operate complex molecular machines such as molecular motors and propellers, to construct artificial nanostructures on atom-by-atom basis, as well as to investigate mechanical, electronic, and spintronic properties of individual atoms, molecules, and molecular assemblies on material surfaces. The focus research topics include rare earth based critical materials, quantum properties of molecular machines, quantum applications of molecular systems including molecular spintronics, and molecular superconductors.

Education: 

Postdoc, Freie Universitaet Berlin and Paul Drude Institute for Electronics, Berlin, Germany (2008 - 2001).

Postdoc, TASC-INFM and ELETTRA Synchrotron Facility, Trieste, Italy (1997 - 1998).

Ph.D., Josef Stefan Institute, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (1997). [Experimental Condensed Matter Physics. Thesis: Nucleation and Growth of Transition Metal Di-Tellurides].

DICTP,(Diploma in Theoretical Physics), ICTP, Trieste, Italy (1993). [Condensed Matter Physics Theory. Thesis: Electronic and Structural Properties of ZnSe/ZnCdSe Superlattices.]

M.Sc., University of Yangon, Myanmar (1990). [Experimental Solid State Physics. Thesis: Synthesis and Analysis of Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7-x High Temperature Superconductor.]

Awards and Fellowships:               

ICTP scholarship (1992 - 1993)

ICTP-Slovenia fellowship (1994 – 1996)

ICTP TRIL fellowship (1997 - 1998)

Ohio University College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award (2006)

Ohio University Transformative Faculty Award (2010)

Samuel D. Bader Award for exceptional achievements, Argonne National Laboratory (2017)

Ohio University’s News Maker Award (2017, 2018)

Impact Argonne Award (2023)

Professional Association:       

Member of APS (American Physical Society)

Member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Member of AVS (American Vacuum Society)

Member of ACS (American Chemical Society)

Member of MRS (Materials Research Society)

*** Representative Research and Popular Press News.***

Complete Publication List.

Service:                                  

National / International Service:

- Executive Committee Member: American Vacuum Society (AVS) Nanoscale Science and Technology Division (2018-2020), Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructure Division (2006-2009).

- Proposal reviewer: DoE, NSF, NIH, Petroleum  research fund (USA), and European funding agencies.

- Conference organizer:

Special focus section,“Single Molecule Nanobiology”, APS March meeting, Los Angeles, CA, (2005),

Special focus session "Methods in Nanobiotechnology", APS March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, (2006),

55th AVS International Symposium, MIND division, Boston, MA (2008),

International Conference on Nanoscale Spectroscopy and Nanotechnology (NSS-5) and Spin-Polarized STM (SP-STM 2), Athens, Ohio (2008),

56th AVS International Symposium, MIND division, San Jose, CA (2009),

27th W. E. Heraeus Seminar on 'Organic and Molecular Electronics", Bad Honaf, Germany (2009),

MRS Spring Meeting symposium on 'Molecular Electronics", San Francesco, CA (2009).

AtMol Winter School: "Quantum Resources for Single Molecule-Machines", Les Houches, France (2013)

NSS-8: "Nanoscale Spectroscopy and Nanotechnology-8", Chicago, USA (2014)

University Service:

- Reviewer: OU Baker research fund.

- Member: Promotion and Tenure Review.

Departmental service:

- Chair, intermediate and graduate laboratories, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2004 to 2011)

- Chair, undergraduate recruiting committee, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2005 - 2006).

- Chair, comprehensive exam reform committee, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2005- 2006).

- Chair, colloquium committee, Physics & Astronomy Dept., (2004-2005).

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---------------------------------------------------Invited Talks (Over 160 invited talks in 23 countries in 4 continents)                       

Operando X-ray Microscopy/Spectroscopy for Catalytic Energy Conversion, SLARC, San Francisco, USA, Sep 2024.

XXXII International Material Research Congress (IMRC 2024), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2024.

IOCD Workshop, Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2024.

Colloquium, IME, University of Chicago, IL, USA, Mar 2024.

ACS Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, Aug 2023.

SPSTM-8/NM-1, OSU, Columbus, OH, USA, Jun 2023.

MRS Spring Meeting, "Critical Materials: Atomic Level Investigations and Manipulation of Individual Rare Earth Complexes on Materials Surfaces", San Francisco, USA, Apr 2023.

Joint Colloquium, Physics Dept., Carnegie Mellon Univ. and Univ. of Pittsburgh, USA, Oct 2022.

[Plenary Lecture] Quantum Molecular Machines. XXX International Material Research Congress (IMRC-2022), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2022. [Video Link of the lecture (starts after 18 min from the beginning).]

ACS Spring Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA, Mar 2022.

PACIFICHEM 2021, "Charge and energy transfer inside a molecular motor". Hawaii, USA, Dec 2021.

PACIFICHEM 2021, "Molecular machines in action". Hawaii, USA, Dec 2021.

PACIFICHEM 2021, "Supramolecular molecules on surface". Hawaii, USA, Dec 2021.

C'NANO Conference, CNRS Toulose, France, Nov 2021.

Colloquium, Physics Dept, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico, Nov 2021.

Colloquium, Department of Physics, Michigan State University, MI, USA, Oct 2021.

Colloquium, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, Sep 2019.

International Material Research Congress (IMRC-2019), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2019.

MRS Spring Meeting, "Molecular machines in action". Phoenix, AZ, USA, Apr 2019.

MRS Spring Meeting, "Preparing CNM user proposals". Phoenix, AZ, USA, Apr 2019.

ACS Spring Meeting, FL, USA, Mar 2019.

Special Colloquium, Johannes Kepler Universität, Linz, Austria, Mar 2019.

Public Lecture, Yangon Technological University, Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 2019.

TTN 2018 International Conference, Ravello, Italy, Oct 2018.

Colloquium, SFB 951 Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, Oct 2018.

ICCC-2018, International Conference on Coordinated Chemistry, Sendai, Japan, Oct 2018.

Colloquium, Institute of Solid State Physics, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan, Aug 2018.

[Plenary Lecture] Novel Scanning Probe Techniques for Quantum Measurements of Nanostructures. International Conference: Fuerza y Tunel. Jaca, Spain, July 2018.

Colloquium, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, Jun 2018.

e-MRS (International Conference: European Materials Research Society), Strasbourg, France, Jun 2018.

Colloquium, University of Florida, FL, USA, Feb 2018.

International Symposium on Molecular Machines: Powering Molecules. Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Nov 2017.

AVS 64th Symposium, Florida, USA, Oct 2017.

[Plenary Lecture] X International Conference on Surfaces, Materials and Vacuum, Juarez, Mexico, Sep 2017.

International Materials Research Congress, Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2017.

Colloquium, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA, Feb 2017.

Colloquium, Yangon University, Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 2017.

Colloquium, University of Computer Studies, Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 2017.

Colloquium, STI Myanmar University, Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 2017.

Colloquium, Yangon Western University, Myanmar, Jan 2017.

Colloquium, Dagon University, Yangon, Myanmar, Dec 2016.

International Workshop on Supramolecular Self-Assembled Systems on Surfaces, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Dec 2016.

Colloquium, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Sep 2016.

XXI International Materials Research Congress (IMRC), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2016.

Symposium on Molecular Switches and Functional Surfaces, Berlin, Germany, Apr 2016.

ACRITAS workshop, Graz, Austria, Feb 2016.

Photonic West (IEEE), San Francesco, CA, USA, Feb 2016.

Colloquium, Hinthada University, Hinthada, Myanmar, Jan 2016.

Picifichem 2015, Hawaii, USA, Dec 2015.

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science: 6th Multidisciplinary Science Forum, Scramento, CA, USA, Nov 2015.

XXIV International Materials Research Congress, Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2015.

XXXVIII Brazilian Physical Society Meeting, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, May 2015.

Colloquium, Bago University, Pago, Myanmar, Dec 2014.

SpinMol Conference, Ascona, Switzerland, Oct 2014.

German Physicak Society (DPG) Spring Meeting, Dresden, Germany, Mar 2014.

Montreal Polytechnique Department of Engineering Physics Colloquium, Montreal, Canada, Feb 2014.

Wayne State University Physics Department Colloquium, Detroit, MI, USA, Dec 2013.

'American Vacuum Society (AVS) 60th International Symposium', Long Beach, CA, USA, Oct 2013.

IVC-9/ ICN+T 2013 (International Vacuum Congress and International Conference on nanoscience and Technology), Paris, France, Sep 2013.

American Vacuum Society Prairie Chapter Meeting, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL, USA, Sep 2013.

University of Central Lancashire Physics Department Colloquium, Preston, UK, Jun 2013.

University of Birmingham NPRL Seminar, Birmingham, UK, Jun 2013.

International Workshop, "Theory Meets Experiment: Organic Molecules on Semiconductor Surfaces", UCL, London, UK, Jun 2013.

International Symposium "Single Molecular Machines and Motors", Toulouse, France, Jun 2013.

National Institute of Chemistry Colloquium, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Jun 2013.

Academic Center of Materials and Nanotechnology Colloquium, University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland, Jun 2013.

'4th European Nanomanipulation Workshop', Krakow, Poland, Jun 2013.

'FNANO 13' (Foundation Nanoscience 13 International Conference), Snowbird, Utah, USA, Apr 2013.

Drexel University, Physics Department Colloquium, Philadelphia, USA, Apr 2013.

'Quantum Resources for Single Molecule Machines', AtMol Winter School, Les Houches, France, Jan 2013.

'Automol Meeting', Toulouse, France, Jan 2013.

Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel (SFB-Chemistry-Colloquium), Kiel, Germany, Jan 2013.

ARTIST workshop 'Addressing, Transport, and Storage of Information by Single Atoms and Molecules', Les Houches, France, Jan 2013.

National Tsinghua University (NTHU-Colloquium), Tsinghua, Taiwan, Dec 2012.

Workshop for Emerging Carbon Nanoelectronic and Energy, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, Dec 2012.

University of Cincinnati Physics Department Colloquium, Cincinnati, OH, USA, Nov 2012.

Sandia National Laboratory, CINT-Colloquium, NM, USA, Nov 2012.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, CINT-Colloquium, NM, USA, Nov 2012.

International Workshop on Functional Molecules on Surfaces (FunMol), Bonn, Germany, Oct 2012.

BOSS 2012 (Berlin Conference on Surface Science), Berlin, Germany, Sep 2012.

Max Planck Institute (Colloquium), Halle, Germany, Sep 2012.

ESPM 2012 (Electron adn Scanning Probe PI Meeting), Germantown, MD, USA, Sep 2012.

International Materials Research Congress (IMRC 2012), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2012.

DIET-13 (13th International Conference on Desorption and Dynamics Induced by Electronic Transition), Stratsford-Upon-Avon, UK, Jul 2012.

University of Liverpool, Surface Science Center (Colloquium), Liverpool, UK, Jul 2012.

Nan9Tech-2012, Mexican Physical Society International Conference, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, May 2012.

DPG German Physical Society Meeting, Berlin, Germany, Mar 2012.

ANL-NTU workshop, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Jan 2012.

Taiwan Physical Society Meeting, Chiayi, Taiwan, Jan 2012.

IBM Zurich (Colloquium), Zurich, Switzerland, Nov 2011.

Nanomex 2011, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, Nov 2011.

AMS 2011 (Atomic Scale Manipulation and Spectroscopy of Surfaces and Nanostructures), Atsugi, Japan , Oct 2011.

National University of Taiwan, (Colloquium), Taipei, Taiwan, Oct 2011.

DOE- BES Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Principal Investigator Meeting, MD, USA, Aug 2011.

Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (Colloquium), Pisa, Italy, Jul 2011.

University of Modena, Department of Physics (Colloquium), Modena, Italy, Jul 2011.

ELETTRA Synchrotron Laboratory (Colloquium), Trieste, Italy, July 2011.

University of Hamburg, Institute of Applied Physics, SPIRES Meeting, Germany, Jun 2011.

FM2011 (Functional Metalorganics), Uppsala, Sweden, May 2011.

Northwestern University, Department of Chemistry (Colloquium), Chicago, IL , USA, Feb 2011.

Purdue University, Department of Physics (Colloquium), IN,USA, Jan 2011.

[Plenary Lecture] Frontier of Condensed Matter V (FCM 2010), Buenos, Aires, Argentina , Dec 2010.

International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) (Colloquium), Trieste, Italy, Dec 2010.

CEMES (Colloquium), Toulouse, France, Noc 2010.

Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) (Colloquium), Tokyo, Japan, Nov 2010.

Keio University (Colloquium), Tokyo, Japan, Oct 2010.

Nanoscale Spectroscopy and Nanotechnology 6 (NSS-6), Kobe, Japan, Oct 2010.

University of Pittsburgh, Department of Physics (Colloquium), PA, USA, Oct 2010.

DOE, BES, Electron and Scanning Probe Contractor Meeting, Arlington, VA, USA, Oct 2010.

The Ohio State University, Department of Physics (Colloquium), OH, USA, Oct 2010.

International Conference on Global Core Research and Engineering of Advanced Materials, Osaka, Japan, May 2010.

University of Maryland, Department of Physics (Colloquium), MD, USA, April 2010.

University of North Carolina, Physics Department (Colloquium), Chapel Hill, USA, Oct 2009.

University of Zaragoza, Physics Department (Colloquium), Zaragoza, Spain, July 2009.

13th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science, Columbia University, New York, USA, Jun 2009.

Christian-Albrechts Universitaet Kiel, Kiel, Germany, Jun 2009.

1st International Conference on Nanomedicine, Hainan, China, Jun 2009.

Technische Universitaet Aachen, (Colloquium) Aachen, Germany, Jun 2009.

University of Hamburg, Department of Chemistry, (Lecture), Hamburg, Germany, May 2009.

Nanotechnology Conference, Monterrey, Mexico, May 2009.

Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institute for Applied Physics (Colloquium), Germany, Apr 2009.

427th W.E. Heraeus seminar, Bad Honaf, Germany, Feb 2009.

PCSI 36 (36th Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces), Santa Barbara, CA, USA, Jan 2009.

FCM IV (At the Frontiers of Condensed Matter IV), Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec 2008.

AVS 55 Symposium (American Vacuum Society 55th Symposium), Boston,MA, USA, Oct 2008.

IMRC XVII 2008 (International Materials Research Congress), Cancun, Mexico, Aug 2008.    

IEEE NANO 2008 (8th International Conference on Nanotechnology), Arlington, Tx, USA, Aug 2008.

ICN+T 08 (International Coference on Nanoscience + Technology, 2008), Keystone Resort, Co, USA, Jul 2008.

Oak Ridge National Lab. (Colloquium) TN, USA, Fev 2008.

ICSPM15 Atagawa, Japan, Dec 2007.

J. Stefan Institute (Colloquium), Slovenia, Dec 2007.

CREST Workshop on Molecular Nano Electronic Devices, Kyoto, Japan, Nov 2007.

Univ. of Central Florida, (Colloquium), FL, USA, Nov 2007.

NanoTX 07, Dallas, TX, USA, Oct 2007.

Georgia Tech, MSE Dept, (Colloquium), GA, USA, Sep 2007.

Scanning Probe Microscopies, Osaka, Japan, Aug 2007.

Spring 8 Synchrotron Facilities, (Colloquium), Japan , Aug 2007.

ICMAT 2007 Conference, Singapore, Jul 2007.

PASI Workshop: Electronic States and Excitations on Nanostructures, Zacatecas,  Mexico, Jun 2007.

Single molecule switches and devices realized by STM manipulation , Materials Science Colloquium, Argonne National Lab., IL, USA, Apr 2007.  

AVS Western Pennsylvania Symposium, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Apr 2007.

Institute of Solid State Physics, Tokyo University, Japan, Mar 2007.

Tokyo University, Riken, Department of Chemistry, Japan, Mar 2007.

Japan Physical Society March Meeting, Kyusyu, Japan, Mar 2007.

Atom/molecule manipulation with STM’, West Virginia University (Colloquium), VA, USA, Feb 2007.                                                                

XII Symposium on Materials Sciences, CCMC-UNAM, Mexico, Feb 2007.

Single atom/molecule manipulation and its application to nanoscience & technology, Surface and Interface Science at the Atomic Scale (DoE), Warrenton, VA, USA. Oct/Nov 2006.

Single molecule switches and devices realized by STM manipulation, Trends on Novel Materials, CIAM workshop, Santa Marta, Colombia, Oct 2006.

Single molecule switches and devices realized by STM manipulation, Humboldt University (Colloquium), Berlin, Germany, Sep 2006.

AIST (Colloquium), Tsukuba, Japan, May 2006. ‘’

Molecular devices and machines: STM single molecule manipulation, , CREST workshop on physics of single molecules, Kanagawa, Japan,  May 2006.

Wright State University (Colloquium), Dayton, OH, USA, Apr 2006.

American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting, Baltimore, MD, USA, Mar 2006.

Case Western Reserve University (Colloquium), Cleveland, OH, USA, Jan 2006.