PeiYu Cai | PhD Candidate in Physics
Thesis title: Topological Spin Textures and Magnetization Dynamics in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Magnets: A Multiscale Perspective
PhD in Physics
Year of study: 4
- Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems
- School of Physics and Astronomy
Contact details
- Email: peiyu.cai@ed.ac.uk
PhD supervisor:
Address
- Street
-
Room 2501
James Clerk Maxwell Building - City
- Edinburgh
- Post code
- EH9 3FD
Availability
Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Background
PeiYu Cai is a PhD candidate in Physics at the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, supervised by Prof. Elton J. G. Santos. His research centers on theoretical and computational condensed matter physics, with a focus on multi-scale spin dynamics, micromagnetic simulations, and atomistic modeling of two-dimensional van der Waals magnets and topological spin textures. Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh, he earned an MSc in Physics with Distinction from Imperial College London and dual BSc degrees in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Central Florida.
CV
159472.pdf
Qualifications
MSc in Physics (Distinction / First Class Honours), Imperial College London, UK (2022)
BSc in Physics and Mathematics (Dual Major), University of Central Florida, USA (2021)
Undergraduate teaching
Graduate Teaching Assistant responsible for delivering technical instruction in advanced undergraduate physics workshops and computational physics laboratories, mentoring students in scientific programming, numerical algorithms, and experimental uncertainty analysis.
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
No
Research summary
Theoretical and numerical investigation of low-dimensional magnetism, focusing on multi-scale modeling frameworks combining atomistic spin dynamics and GPU-accelerated micromagnetics to elucidate phase transitions, chiral spin textures, and non-equilibrium dynamics in two-dimensional magnetic heterostructures.
Current research interests
Multi-scale spin dynamics in 2D van der Waals magnets, including Fe3GaTe2, Fe3GeTe2, CrTe2, NbFeTe2, and Cr2Si2Te6. Topological spin configurations (skyrmions, merons, and domain wall pinning) governed by interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions and local symmetry breaking. Magnetization dynamics under external driving forces, including spin-orbit torque (SOT), spin-transfer torque (STT), ultrafast laser excitation, and thermal fluctuations. High-performance supercomputing implementations using MuMax3 and VAMPIRE on distributed GPU and CPU clusters.Past research interests
Spin torque nano-oscillators (STNO) and their synchronization dynamics for neuromorphic computing and pattern recognition. Wave function symmetry analysis and boundary value problems in two-dimensional microstrip antenna geometries.Invited speaker
"Tutorial: Simulating 2D van der Waals Magnets with VAMPIRE," VAMPIRE Workshop 2023, University of York, UK (October 2023)
Participant
European School on Magnetism (ESM 2026), Uppsala University, Sweden (2026)
Papers delivered
Oral: "Topological Spin Textures in Two-Dimensional Van der Waals Magnets," 71st Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MMM 2026), Honolulu, USA (2026)
Oral: "Thickness-Dependent Skyrmion Evolution in during Magnetization Reversal," IEEE ATC/ATG 2025 (November 2025)
Poster: "Micromagnetic Investigation of Thickness-Dependent Skyrmion Evolution and Pinning in Fe3GeTe2," Intermag 2026, Manchester, UK (April 2026)