Publications | Cui Lab

Representative Publications (*correspondence/first author)

S. C. Yelishala*, Y. Zhu*, P. M. Martinez*, O. Mateos-Lopez, W. Xiong, D. Chooi, S. Kimura, J. C. Cuevas, J. G. Vilhena, L. Cui, “Thermal conductance of atomic scale glass reaches 40% of quantum limit,” Nature Nanotechnology (2026).
X. Zhu*, M. Habibi*, T. Xiao, L. Sun, W. Deng, A. K. Pariari, M. Hücker, W. Lu, L. Cui, Q. Weng, “Probing near-field thermal radiation of van der Waals semimetal at room temperature,” Optica 13 (8), 1544–1552 (2026).
T. R. Cao, G. Schebel, A. Quane, H. Zhao, Y. Zhang, F. Ye, L. Cui, G. Cao, “Inductance meets memory in the quantum magnet Mn₃Si₂Te₆,” Communications Physics 9, 183 (2026).
M. Habibi and L. Cui, “Zero-vacuum-gap thermophotonics,” PRX Energy 5, 013005 (2026).

L. Cui, W. Xiong, “New materials, old physics – the science behind how your winter jacket keeps you warm,” The Conversation (2025).
Y. Zhu, S. C. Yelishala, S. Liao, J. Shropshire, D. Natelson, L. Cui, “On-chip single-crystal plasmonic optoelectronics for efficient hot carrier collection and photovoltage detection,” Light: Science & Applications 14, 325 (2025).
S. C. Yelishala*, Y. Zhu*, P. M. Martinez*, H. Chen, M. Habibi, G. Prampolini, J. C. Cuevas, W. Zhang, J. G. Vilhena, L. Cui, “Phonon interference in single-molecule junctions,” Nature Materials 24, 1258–1264 (2025).
M. Habibi and L. Cui, “Achieving simultaneously high efficiency and power density in zero-vacuum-gap thermophotovoltaic devices,” ACS Photonics 12 (10), 5623–5629 (2025).
S. C. Yelishala, C. Murphy, L. Cui, “Lithography-free, low-cost, picowatt-resolution calorimeter for micro and nanoscale thermal characterization,” Sensors and Actuators A 388, 116494 (2025).
M. Habibi, A. Beardo, L. Cui, “Near-field thermal radiation as the probe of nanoscale hot electron and phonon transport,” ACS Nano 19 (6), 6033–6043 (2025).
M. Habibi*, S. C. Yelishala*, Y. Zhu, E. J. Tervo, M. A. Steiner, L. Cui, “Enhanced power density in zero-vacuum-gap thermophotovoltaic devices,” Energy & Environmental Science 18, 1514–1523 (2025).

H. Zhang*, Y. Zhu*, P. Duan*, M. Shiri, S. C. Yelishala, S. Shen, Z. Song, C. Jia, X. Guo, L. Cui, K. Wang, “Energy conversion and transport in molecular-scale junctions,” Applied Physics Reviews 11 (4), 041312 (2024).
S. C. Yelishala, C. Murphy, L. Cui, “Molecular perspective and engineering of thermal transport and thermoelectricity in polymers,” Journal of Materials Chemistry A 12, 10614–10658 (2024).
Y. Zhu, M. B. Raschke, D. Natelson, L. Cui, “Molecular scale nanophotonics: hot carriers, strong coupling, and electrically driven plasmonic processes,” Nanophotonics 13 (13), 2281–2322 (2024).

Y. Zhu, L. Cui, M. Abbasi, D. Natelson, “Tuning light emission crossovers in atomic-scale aluminum plasmonic tunnel junctions,” Nano Letters 22, 8068–8075 (2022).
H. Wu, X. Liu, Y. Cai, L. Cui, Y. Huang, “Near-field radiative heat transfer modulated by nontrivial topological surface states,” Materials Today Physics 27, 10825 (2022).

L. Cui, S. Hur, Z. A. Akbar, J. C. Klöckner, W. Jeong, F. Pauly, S.-Y. Jang, P. Reddy, E. Meyhofer, “Thermal conductance of single-molecule junctions,” Nature 572, 628–633 (2019).
L. Cui, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Experimental approaches for probing heat transfer and energy conversion at the atomic and molecular scale,” Nanoscale Energy Transport (Book Chapter), IOP Publishing (2019).
H. Wu, Y. Huang, L. Cui, K. Zhu, “Active magneto-optical control of near-field radiative heat transfer between graphene sheets,” Physical Review Applied 11 (5), 054020 (2019).

L. Cui, R. Miao, K. Wang, D. Thompson, L. A. Zotti, J. C. Cuevas, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Peltier cooling in molecular junctions,” Nature Nanotechnology 13, 122–127 (2018).
R. Miao, H. Xu, M. Skripnik, L. Cui, K. Wang, K. G. L. Pedersen, M. Leijnse, F. Pauly, K. Wärnmark, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, H. Linke, “Influence of quantum interference on the thermoelectric properties of molecular junctions,” Nano Letters 18 (9), 5666–5672 (2018).

L. Cui, W. Jeong, S. Hur, M. Matt, J. C. Klöckner, F. Pauly, P. Nielaba, J. C. Cuevas, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Quantized thermal transport in single atom junctions,” Science 355, 1192 (2017).
L. Cui, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Thermal transport: Harmony with superatoms,” Nature Materials 16, 10 (2017).
L. Cui, W. Jeong, V. Fernández-Hurtado, J. Feist, F. J. García-Vidal, J. C. Cuevas, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Study of radiative heat transfer at Ångström and nanometer scale gaps,” Nature Communications 8, 14479 (2017).
L. Cui, R. Miao, C. Jiang, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Thermal and thermoelectric transport in molecular junctions,” Journal of Chemical Physics 146, 092201 (2017).

K. Kim, B. Song, V. Fernández-Hurtado, W. Lee, W. Jeong, L. Cui, D. Thompson, J. Feist, M. T. Homer Reid, F. J. García-Vidal, J. C. Cuevas, E. Meyhofer, P. Reddy, “Radiative heat transfer in the extreme near field,” Nature 528, 387–391 (2015).

L. Cui, Y. Huang, J. Wang, K.-Y. Zhu, “Ultrafast modulation of near-field heat transfer with tunable metamaterials,” Applied Physics Letters 102, 053106 (2013).

L. Cui, Y. Huang, J. Wang, “Near-field radiative heat transfer between chiral metamaterials,” Journal of Applied Physics 112, 084309 (2012).