Lin Makes Quantum Leaps in Physics Research
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
Yuqing Lin is electrified by physics.
"In introductory physics, we learn about how electrons would move and these very simple laws that explain the behaviors of electrons and materials," said Lin, a senior at Carnegie Mellon University. "In actual materials, there are many interacting electrons, and their behaviors are more complicated. That gives rise to more novel properties we don't understand, and this is very fascinating for me."
Lin’s began researching the summer after her first year with the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center on the open-source Multiple Scattering Theory (MuST) program. The program allows users to enter basic material properties to predict more complex ones, like its structure.
Lin is majoring in physics with an additional major in robotics and a minor in mathematical sciences. She has worked to ensure the calculations are accurate. This spring, she presented her work at the American Physical Society March Meeting.
"It was exciting for me to see how much I've grown throughout the years with our research group," Lin said. "It started out as a training project, but I have learned a lot and grew to more advanced projects."
Lin applied her lessons at PSC to an internship at Fermilab during the summer of 2024, where she worked to make quantum computing experiments easier to control. Quantum computing uses superposition, where electron exist in many states at once, to process many outcomes at the same time.
Lin said testing quantum computing is difficult because it requires precise controls to manipulate quantum states. Researchers also must account for noisy data and potential errors. At Fermilab, Lin created a computational tool that allows researchers to send the signals faster and with fewer steps. She shared her research at the American Physical Society's Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities (CU*iP) in January 2025.
"I found this project really interesting because I got to work with a system that has a physical meaning, but I could use my computer skills," Lin said. "It was half theory, half computation, and it's not just algorithms. It's actually quantum physics."
During the summer of 2025, Lin was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) to work with Vlad Kozii, assistant professor of physics, to investigate the topological semimetals. These lab-designed materials have properties that stay consistent even when their structure is bent or warped.
Physicists hypothesize that topological semimetals may have the potential to turn heat into electricity. When one side is heated and the other is cooled, electrons move through the material like in a semiconductor. With further research, these materials could help power buildings by using outdoor temperature differences.
"As condensed matter physicists, we look into the microscopic properties, especially how electrons move around and their energies in the material," Lin said.
Kozii said Lin’s research is thorough.
"She tries to understand all the little details of the physical process and the mathematical approach," Kozii said. "Yuqing demonstrated that she can perform very complex and tedious analytical calculations, far exceeding my expectation from an undergraduate student."
Outside of the lab, Lin has been active in the Department of Physics. She has served as a teaching assistant for multiple classes, including Quantum Physics and Physics I for engineering students, and she tutored upper-level physics courses.
Lin is also a leader as a part of the Physics Steering Committee. Gillian Ryan, director of undergraduate affairs and associate teaching professor in the Department of Physics, said Lin’s advocacy through the organization for stronger guidance and training for undergraduate teaching assistants has had positive effects.
"Yuqing is incredibly thoughtful and measured in everything she does — whether considering a new concept in a class, deciding how to best explain a complicated idea during a research presentation or discussing student concerns with Departmental Leadership," Ryan said. "She’s obviously fiercely intelligent, but she is also detail oriented and isn't afraid to tackle new challenges."
For her efforts, Lin earned the Niccolai-Fustanio Families Scholarship Award, which is given to a senior who has achieved academic success while pursuing other experiences outside of the classroom. The scholarship was established in 2016 by Mellon College of Science alumni Nilo A. and Phylis F. Niccolai.
Lin said she is excited to continue her work in the Kozii research group. After graduation, she said she plans to attend graduate school with a focus on condensed matter theory and quantum information.
"I'm really grateful for the Physics Department,” Lin said. “I've grown a lot over my three years here, and I've gotten so much support."
