Judy J Cha

Judy Jeeyong Cha is an American physicist who is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell University. Her research considers 2D materials for next-generation technologies, including quantum computing and low-dissipation electronics.

Early life and education Cha grew up in South Korea. She has said that she loved mathematics and science as a child. She was an undergraduate student in engineering physics at Simon Fraser University. She earned her doctorate at Cornell University, where she worked with David A Muller and developed nanoscale electron spectroscopies. Cha was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University. She worked with Yi Cui on 2D materials, and became interested in topological systems. The topological systems developed by Cha can be used to control electron transport and spin. She moved to Cornell University in 2022, where she built a laboratory that fabricates and characterizes 2D nanomaterials. She is particularly interested in phase transformations and structure-property relationships in chalcogonides. 2017 Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Azrieli Global Scholar for Quantum Materials 2018 National Science Foundation CAREER Award 2019 Moore Foundation EPiQS Materials Synthesis Investigator Award 2024 Fellow of the American Physical Society "for pioneering contributions in the development of nanoscale synthesis and characterization methods for topological nanomaterials, resulting in enhanced properties of the topological electronic states for device applications and fundamental studies"

Selected publications

Personal life Cha is married to Alex Kwan, a psychiatrist who is a professor in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering.