Zhurun (Judy) Ji

Assistant Professor of Physics
Using novel scanning probe and sensing approaches to study materials down to the quantum limit, then apply them to build quantum devices.

Research Interests

Professor Zhurun (Judy) Ji’s group explores the intersection of quantum sensing, quantum materials, and quantum devices, to drive breakthroughs in both fundamental science and next-generation technologies.

Our work is centered around two major directions:

  1. We develop new scanning probe techniques (RFlexiscope), using microwave techniques to study the local electrical properties and noise phenomena of quantum materials, especially two-dimensional materials. With these methods, we study quantum phenomena such as electron topology and correlation, with the aim to discover and understand macroscopic quantum phenomena.
  2. Using non-local spectroscopic techniques, we study coherence properties in emerging materials. Our goal is to gain insight into quantum phase transitions, collective excitations, and apply these insights in designing next-generation solid-state quantum circuits.

Integrating these pursuits, Ji group aims to drive the quantum understanding of quantum phenomena and accelerate the realization of practical quantum devices.

Biographical Sketch

Zhurun (Judy) Ji received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology of China, class for the gifted youth, in 2015. She earned her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021. From 2021 to 2024, she was a Stanford Science Fellow and Urbanek-Chodorow Postdoc Fellow at Stanford University. She is now a Panofsky fellow at SLAC National Lab and will join MIT’s physics department at the end of 2025.

Awards & Honors

  • 2024-2029 // Panofsky fellowship, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
  • 2022 // Boeing Quantum Creators Prize, Chicago Quantum Exchange
  • 2021-2024 // Stanford Science Fellowship, Stanford University
  • 2021-2023 // Urbanek-Chodorow Postdoctoral Fellowship, Stanford University
  • 2020 // Rising Stars in Physics, Princeton
  • 2018 // Belton Graduate Fellowship Award, University of Pennsylvania
  • 2014 // Most Exceptional Prize, Physics research competition, USTC

Key Publications