Tiantian Zhang is a theorist in condensed matter physics whose research focuses on topological band theory, first-principles calculations, and novel quantum phenomena in materials. Her work provides the theoretical framework that guides the experimental discovery of materials with novel electronic and phononic properties.
Her recent research has advanced the understanding of chiral phonons, quasiparticles corresponding to atomic vibrations with nonzero angular momentum. In studies published between 2023 and 2025, she and her collaborators revealed a clear connection between topological "Weyl phonons" and chiral phenomena, opening new avenues for identifying materials with these quantum behaviors. Many of her theoretical predictions have been successfully verified by experiments. For instance, her collaborations have confirmed the existence of "truly chiral phonons" in crystals like α-HgS and Te, where chirality is an intrinsic property of the crystal structure.
Building on this foundation, she and her collaborators have explored new mechanisms for generating and manipulating phonon properties. Her 2025 work contributed to revealing that magnetic order can induce chiral phonons in the ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2, suggesting that magnetism can be a tool to manipulate atomic vibrations at the quantum level. Her work also continues to expand the search for new functional materials, for example, by establishing chemical rules for designing stacked kagome and honeycomb topological semimetals and investigating the role of chiral phonons in charge density waves.
The ability to predict and manipulate chiral phonons holds potential for applications in thermal management, information transmission, and quantum computing. Tiantian Zhang's research provides a computational roadmap for identifying materials with specific phononic and topological properties. Her goal is to continue exploring the fundamental physics of quantum materials and to guide the discovery of new materials for next-generation electronics and spintronics.
