Jihui Yang

  • Kyocera Associate Professor
  • Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Office:

315 Roberts

630A Benjamin

Phone: (206) 543-7090
Fax: 206-543-3100
Email:jihuiy@uw.edu

Education

2000  Ph. D., physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan: “Low Thermal Conductivity Materials for Advanced Thermoelectric Applications” (advisor: Professor Ctirad Uher).
1994  M. S., radiological physics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
1991  M. S., physics, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
1989  B. S., physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China

 

Work History

University of Washington
2011 – present    Kyocera Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

 

General Motors R&D Center

2010 - 2011        GM Technical Fellow
2009 - 2011        Lab Group Manager, Electrochemistry and Battery System
2003 - 2009        Staff Research Scientist
2000 - 2003        Senior Research Scientist
1996 - 2000     Research Scientist

 

Awards & Honors

2012  Fellow, American Physical Society.
2008  National Academy of Engineering U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.
2008  US Department of Energy Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) award.
2007 The John M. Campbell Award (outstanding contributions to pure or applied science), GM R&D Center.
2001 Kent M. Terwilliger Prize (Best Doctoral Thesis), Department of Physics, University of Michigan

 

Professional Membership & Service

 

Membership

1997-present      Member, Materials Research Society
1991-present      Member, American Physical Society (Fellow since 2012)
2009-present      Member, Electrochemical Society

 

Service

2011                   Science Lab Technical Council, GM R&D Center
2010 - present    Advisory Board of the Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (S3TEC), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy at MIT.
2012- present     Section Editor, Journal of Electronic Materials.
2007- 2012         Associate Editor, Journal of Electronic Materials.
2006- 2010         External Advisory Board, US Department of Energy EPSCoR Implementation Program.
2006                   Panelist for DOE Initiative for a Science-Based Approach to Development of Thermoelectric Materials for Transportation Applications.
2006                   Panelist for the Energy Nanotechnology International Conference – MIT.
2012-2014          President, International Thermoelectric Society.
2005- 2011      Board of Directors and Vice President, International Thermoelectric Society.


Research Summary

Various experimental and theoretical techniques are used to study materials of great fundamental and application interest.  Current research is primarily engaged in the design, synthesis, testing, and understanding of advanced thermoelectric materials and Li-ion battery materials for energy conversion and storage, which include (1) electron and phonon transport of thermoelectric materials, (2) thermodynamic stability, atomistic structural arrangement, electronic band structure, and lattice dynamics of nanocomposites, and (3) degradation mechanisms of advanced Li-ion battery materials.

Selected Publications

  1. Zhang, Y., Ke, X., Kent, P. R. C., Yang, J., and Chen, C., “Anomalous lattice dynamics near ferroelectric instability in PbTe”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 175503 (2011).
  2. Shi, X., Yang, Jiong, Salvador, J. R., Chi, M., Cho, J., Wang, H., Bai, S., Yang, J., Zhang, W., and Chen, J., “Multiple-Filled Skutterudites: High Thermoelectric Figure of Merit through Separately Optimizing Electrical and Thermal Transports”, J. Am. Chem. Soc.133, 7837 (2011).
  3. Zhang, Y., Ke, X., Chen, C., Yang, J., Kent, P. R. C., “Nanodopant-Induced Band Modulation in AgPbmSbTe2+m-Type Thermoelectrics”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 206601 (2011).
  4. Shi, X., Yang, Jiong, Bai, S. Q., Yang, J., Salvador, J. R., Wang, H., Chi, M., Zhang, W. Q., Chen, L. and Wong-Ng, W.,  "On the Design of High Efficiency Thermoelectric Clathrates through a Systematic Cross-substitution of Framework Elements", Adv. Funct. Mater. 20, 755 (2010).
  5. Ke, X., Chen, C., Yang, J., Wu, L., Zhou, J., Li, Q., Zhu, Y., and Kent, P. R. C., “Microstructure and a Nucleation Mechanism for Nanoprecipitates in PbTe-AgSbTe2”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 145502 (2009).
  6. Wang, Y., Xu, X., and Yang, J., “Resonant Oscillation of Misch-Metal Atoms in Filled Skutterudites”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 175508 (2009).
  7. Xi, L., Yang, Jiong, Zhang, W., Chen, L. and Yang, J., “Anomalous Dual-Element Filling in Partially Filled Skutterudites”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 5560, (2009).
  8. Yang, Jiong, Li, H., Wu, T., Zhang, W., Chen, L., and Yang, J., “Evaluation of Half-Heusler Compounds as Thermoelectric Materials Based on the Calculated Electrical Transport Properties”, Adv. Funct. Mater. 18, 2880 (2008).
  9. Shi, X., Kong, H., Li, C.-P., Uher, C, Yang, J., Salvador, J. R., Wang, H., Chen, L., and Zhang, W., “Low thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric figure of merit in n-type BaxYbyCo4Sb12 double-filled skutterudites”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 182101, (2008).
  10. Yang, J., Zhang, W., Bai, S. Q., Mei, Z., and Chen, L. D., “Dual-frequency resonant phonon scattering in BaxRyCo4Sb12 (R=La, Ce, and Sr)”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 192111 (2007).
  11. Yang, J. and Caillat, T., “Thermoelectric Materials for Space and Automotive Power Generation”, MRS Bulletin 31, 3, 224 (2006).
  12. Shi, X., Zhang, X., Chen, L. D., and Yang, J., “Filling Fraction Limit for Intrinsic Voids in Crystals: Doping in Skutterudites”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 185503 (2005).
  13. Yang, J., Meisner, G. P., Chen, L., “Strain Field Fluctuation Effects on Lattice Thermal Conductivity of ZrNiSn-based Thermoelectric Compounds”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 1140 (2004).
  14. Yang, J., Morelli, D. T., Meisner, G. P., Chen, W., Dyck, J. S., Uher, C., “Effect of Sn Substituting Sb on the Low Temperature Transport Properties of Yb-filled Skutterudites”, Phys. Rev B 67, 165207 (2003).
  15. Yang, J., Morelli, D. T., Meisner, G. P., Chen, W., Dyck, J. S., and Uher, C.  “Influence of the Electron-Phonon Interaction on the Lattice Thermal Conductivity of Co1-xNixSb3”. Phys. Rev. B 65, 094115 (2002).
  16. Shen, Q., Chen, L., Goto, T., Hirai, T., Yang, J., Meisner, G. P. and Uher, C. “Effect of Partial Substitution of Ni by Pd on the Thermoelectric Properties of ZrNiSn-Based Half-Heusler Compounds”.  Appl. Phys. Lett.79, 4165 (2001).
  17. Yang, J., Meisner, G. P., Morelli, D. T., and Uher, C.  “Fe Valence in Skutterudites: Magnetic and Transport Properties of Co1-xFexSb3”. Phys. Rev. B 63, 014410 (2001).
  18. Uher, C., Yang, J., Hu, S., Morelli, D. T., and Meisner, G. P.  “Transport Properties of Pure and Doped MNiSn (M=Zr, Hf)”.  Phys. Rev. B 59, 8615 (1999).
  19. Meisner, G. P., Morelli, D. T., Hu, S., Yang, J., and Uher, C.  “Structure and Lattice Thermal Conductivity of Fractionally Filled Skutterudites: Solid Solutions of Fully Filled and Unfilled End Members”.  Phys. Rev. Lett.  80, 3551 (1998).

Patents

Granted
  1. Yang; Jihui, Shi; Xun, Bai; Shengqiang, Zhang; Wenqing, Chen; Lidong, Yang; Jiong, "Thermoelectric material including a multiple transition metal-doped type I clathrate crystal structure", US 8,097,802, January 17, 2012.
  2. Yang, J. and Snyder, Dexter D., “High Performance Thermoelectric Nanocomposite Device”, US 8,044,293, Aug. 25, 2011.
  3. Yang, J., and Meisner, Gregory P., “Filled Skutterudites for Advanced Thermoelectric Applications”, US 7,648,552 B2, Jan. 19, 2010.
  4. Yang, J., Matouka, Michael F., and Stabler, Francis R., “Auxiliary Electrical Power Generation”, US 7,493,776 B2, Feb. 24, 2009.
  5. Verbrugge, Mark W., Yang, J., Cheng, Yang T., Lukitsch, Michael J., Browne, Alan L., and Mankame, Nilesh D., “Reconfigurable Fixture Device and Methods of Use”, US 7,480,975 B2, Jan. 27, 2009.
  6. Yang, J., Snyder, D. D., and Cheng, Y. T., “Shape Memory Alloy Information Storage Device”.  US 7,443,003 B2, Oct. 28, 2008.
  7. Yang, J., Verbrugge, M. W., and Herbst, J. F., “Thermoelectric Conversion of Heat Released During Use of a Power Plant or Hydrogen Storage Material”.  US 7,405,013, B2, July 29, 2008.
  8. Chen, L., Fan, J., Bai, S., and Yang, J., “CoSb3-based Thermoelectric Device Fabrication Method”.  US 7,321,157, B2, Jan. 22, 2008.
  9. Yang, J., Cai, M., and Stabler, F. R., “Thermoelectric Catalytic Converter Temperature Control”.  US 7,051,522, B2, May 30, 2006.
  10. Heremans, J. P. and Yang, J., “In-Plane Magnetoresistance Bridge”.  US 6,075,437, Jan. 13, 2000.  

 

Published Applications

  1. Ulicny, J. C., Verbrugge, M. W., and Yang, J., “Active Material Apparatus with Activating Thermoelectric Device Thereon and Method of Fabrication”, US20090020188 A1, January 22, 2009.
  2. Zhang, W, Yang, J., Meisner, Gregory P., and Chen, L., “Potassium and Sodium Filled Skutterudites”, WO08008638 A2, Jan. 17, 2008.
  3. Yang, J. and Stabler, Francis R., “Thermoelectric Methods to Control Temperature of Batteries”, US2006028182A, Feb. 9, 2006.
  4. Stabler, Francis R. and Yang, J., “Thermoelectric Augmented Fuel Cell System”, US2006003193A, Jan. 5, 2006.
  5. Chen, L., Shi, X., Yang, J., and Meisner, Gregory P., “Method of Improving Thermoelectric Figure of Merit of High Efficiency Thermoelectric Materials”, US2005241689A, Nov. 3, 2005.
  6. Yang, J., Chen, L., Meisner, Gregory P., and Uher, C., “Thermoelectric Material Using ZrNiSn-Based Half Heusler Structures”, WO05098979A, Oct. 20, 2005.

 

Contact Us

UW Department of Materials Science & Engineering

phone: (206) 543-2600
fax: (206) 543-3100

mse@u.washington.edu