Professor Evelyn Hu is the Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and of Electrical Engineering, and a Professor of Arts and Sciences at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. In addition to her professorship, she is currently a Co-Director of the Harvard Quantum Initiative. Prior to Harvard, Professor Hu was a faculty member at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), in the Departments of Materials, and of Electrical and Computer Engineering. While at UCSB, she also served as the founding Scientific co-Director of the California NanoSystems Institute, a joint initiative between UCSB and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Before joining UCSB, she worked at Bell Labs in both Holmdel and Murray Hill.

Professor Hu received Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Physics from Columbia University and a B.A. in Physics from Barnard College.

Her research involves the design, fabrication and study of nanoscale photonic devices and emitters which may be the basis of new quantum mechanical bits, with applications for new quantum information technologies.

Professor Hu is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , and the Academica Sinica of Taiwan . She was named a Harvard College Professor (2015-2020), has been named the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentorship and Advising, is a recipient of an NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar award, and an AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award. She was awarded the 2020 Andrew Grove Award given by the IEEE, and the 2021 IEEE/RSE James Clerk Maxwell Medal. She holds honorary Doctorates from the University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Notre Dame, ETH Zurich, and the City University of Hong Kong.

Education

1. Ph.D. in Physics, Columbia University (1975)
2. M.A. in Physics, Columbia University (1971)

3. B.A. in Physics, Barnard College (summa cum laude) (1969)

Experience

1. Co-Director, Harvard Quantum Initiative (July 2018 – present)
2. Harvard College Professor (July 2015 – July 2020)
3. Tarr-Coyne Professor of Applied Physics and of Electrical Engineering, Harvard (Aug 2013 - present)

4. Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Area Dean for Electrical Engineering (Jan. 2009 – July 2013)
5. Scientific Co-Director, California Nanosystems Institute, UCSB (Dec. 2000 – July 2008)
6. Director, Institute for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology (iQUEST), UCSB (July 2000- June 2001)
7. Director, Center for Quantized Electronic Structures (QUEST, an NSF Science and Technology Center), UCSB (July 1994 – July 2000)
8. Director, Santa Barbara component of NSF National Nanofabrication Users Network (March 1994 – June 2001)
9. Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCSB (July 1992 – Aug. 1994)
10. Vice-Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCSB (1989 – July 1992)
11. Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCSB (1984 – 2008)
12. Associate Director, Center for Robotic Systems in Microelectronics (an NSF Engineering Research Center), UCSB (1984 – 1987)
13. Supervisor, VLSI Patterning Processes, AT&T Bell Laboratories. Generated high resolution optical lithographic and reactive ion etching processes for fabrication of 1-1.5μm NMOS and CMOS circuits. (1981 – 1984)
14. Member of Technical Staff, AT&T Bell Laboratories. Development of submicron fabrication techniques to produce and study nanometer-scale devices. (1975 – 1981)

Research Focus

The design, fabrication and study of nanoscale photonic devices and emitters which may be the basis of new quantum mechanical bits, with applications for new quantum information technologies. 

Major Honors, Awards and Recognitions

1. IEEE/RSE James Clerk Maxwell Medal (2021)
2. IEEE Andrew Grove Technical Field Award (2020)
3. Eringen Award, Society of Engineering Science (2019)
4. Honorary Doctor of Science, City University of Hong Kong (2022)
5. Honorary Doctor of Science, ETH Zurich (Nov. 2019)
6. Honorary Professor of the Department of EE, City University of Hong Kong (2021-24)
7. Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Notre Dame University (May 2014)
8. Honorary Doctor of Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (Nov. 2013)
9. Honorary Doctor of Science, Heriot-Watt University (June 2013)
10. Member of Institute of Advanced Studies, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (May 2013)
11. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2010)
12. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences (2008)
13. Elected to the Academica Sinica, Taiwan (2004)
14. Elected to the National Academy of Engineering (2002)
15. AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award (2000)
16. Honorary Doctor of Engineering, University of Glasgow (June 1995)

Selected Current and Recent Professional Contributions

1. Member of the Defense Science Board (2022- present)
2. Board of Editors, PNAS (2008 – present)
3. Member, Election Policy Evaluation Committee – Implementation (iEPEC), of NAE; 2023-present    
4. Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Quantum Foundry at UCSB, 2020 – present
5. Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Rowland Institute, 2023-present

Five Significant Scholarly Outputs

1. Badolato A, Hennessy K, Atature M, Dreiser J, Hu E, Petroff P M, and Imamoglu A. (2005) “Deterministic coupling of single quantum dots to single nanocavity modes.” SCIENCE 308: 1158-1161.
2. Hennessy K, Badolato A, Winger M, Gerace D, Atatuere M, Gulde S, Faelt S, Hu E, and Imamoglu A. (2007) “Quantum nature of a strongly coupled single quantum dot-cavity system.” NATURE 445: 896-899.
3. Bracher David O, Xingyu Zhang, and Evelyn L Hu (2017) “Selective Purcell enhancement of two closely linked zero-phonon transitions of a silicon carbide color center.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114 (16): 4060-4065
4. Day, A.M., Dietz, J.R., Sutula, M., Yeh, M. and Hu, E.L., (2023) “Laser writing of spin defects in nanophotonic cavities.” Nature Materials, 22(6), pp.696-702.
5. Day, A.M., Sutula, M., Dietz, J.R., Raun, A., Sukachev, D.D., Bhaskar, M.K. and Hu, E.L., (2024) “ Electrical manipulation of telecom color centers in silicon.” Nature Communications, 15(1), p.4722.