51ĀŅĀ×

Education

Ph.D., University of Ljubljana (1997)

Research

• Experimental Nanophysics

Member and Director

Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute (NQPI)

Personal Profile

Saw Wai Hla is a Professor of Physics at 51ĀŅĀ×, and a scientist in the Nanoscience and Technology Division at Argonne National Laboratory. He has served as a director of Condensed Matter and Surface Program at 51ĀŅĀ× (2015-2018), and as a group leader of Electronic and Magnetic Materials and Devices Group (2011-2015) and Quantum and Energy Materials Group (2016-2019) in Argonne National Laboratory. He received B.Sc (Hons) and M.Sc in physics from Yangon University, Myanmar in 1990, DICTP in condensed matter theory from ICTP, Trieste, Italy in 1993, and a PhD in experimental physics from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1997. After postdoctoral appointments at the TASC-INFM/ELETTRA synchrotron lab in Trieste, Italy (1997-1998), and Freie University and Paul Drude Institute for Solid State Electronics, Berlin, in Germany (1998-2001), Dr. Hla joined to 51ĀŅĀ× (OU) as a faculty of physics specializing nanoscience in 2001. In 2005, Dr. Hla was promoted to associate professor with tenure and in 2011 to full professor. Dr. Hla also has been a visiting professor at the University of Hamburg, Germany (Roland Wiesendanger group, 2008-2009) and in the Department of Chemistry at the Universite Paul Sabatier in France (2010) during his sabbatical periods. After taking a joint appointment with Argonne National Laboratory, he maintains faculty appointment at OU (50%) to date. Dr. Hla has also served in numerous national/international boards such as an executive committee member of the American Vacuum Societyā€™s Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Division (2006-2008), and Nanoscale Science and Technology Division (2018-2020); as a conference/session organizer of various international conferences held in USA and Europe as well as the American Physical Society, and Material Research Society, and as a proposal reviewer/panelist for National Science Foundation of USA (NSF), United States Department of Energy (DOE), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and European funding agencies. Dr. Hlaā€™s research is focused on nano and quantum sciences using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), synchrotron x-ray STM and atomic/molecular manipulation. He is a world leading researcher in the areas of STM single molecule manipulations, single molecule spintronics, and molecular machines on surfaces. He has received College of Arts and Sciences Deanā€™s Outstanding Teacher Award (2006), Transformative faculty Award (2010) from OU and Sam Baderā€™s Award (2017) for exceptional achievement from Argonne National laboratory. He has published over 100 articles (including 10 articles in Nature Publishing Group and 1 in Science) and has given over 140 invited talks worldwide in 23 countries in 4 continents (including 4 plenary lectures in major international conferences abroad). His hobbies include skiing and hiking as well as playing guitar as he has been a professional bass guitarist once upon a time. 

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