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Muhammad Tahir

I am a postdoctoral fellow in Condensed Matter Physics group working with Dr. Hua Chen at Colorado State University, Fort Collins.  I am a computational and mathematical material scientist and condensed matter physicist. My specialized interests include thermoelectric, nanotechnology, solar energy conversion, heat to electrical energy conversion and catalysis, quantum computation and information processing technology. In academia, I am engaged in a variety of research activities, where I have acquired many numerical tools that are equally useful in data science and machine learning. Throughout my career I have taken advantage of various research and teaching opportunities in Physics, including Colorado State University (USA), Concordia University (Canada), KAUST (Saudi Arabia) and Imperial College London (UK), where I worked to explain quantum many-body phenomena and light-matter interactions in low-dimensional systems.

SKILLS & EXPERTISE (DataCamp Certified):
1. Extensive and proficient use of Python (Numpy, Scipy, Matplotlib, Scikit-Learn, Pandas).
2. Experience of machine learning algorithms (Supervised, Unsupervised and Deep Learning).
3. General Data Science: data extraction, cleaning, manipulation, visualization.   Statistical analysis: stats models, hypothesis testing
4. Databases and Big Data tools: SQL, Hadoop, Spark
5. Other programming languages: FORTRAN, C++, Mathematica, Matlab

My current research interests include, but are not limited to:

• Strongly correlated electronic systems.       • Light-matter interactions, and AMO.       • van der Waals & moiré   structures of graphene-like Novel materials.                    • Spintronics and Valleytronics in low-dimensional materials.       • Floquet phases and Topological states in condensed matter systems.       • Superconductivity in low-dimensional materials.      • Electrical, optical, and thermoelectric transport properties of Novel graphene-like low-dimensional systems.

Address: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA.

E-mail: tahir@colostate.edu
E-mail: m.tahir06@alumni.imperial.ac.uk
Website: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=jEDx6QsAAAAJ&hl=en (See Google Scholar Profile)

Computer SKILLS

  • Program Languages: Python, Matlab and Mathematica.
  • Commercial Programs: Maple, and scientific work place.
  • Other Scientific Software: Fortron, Comsol, and C++.

EDUCATION

Ph. D.

M. S.

B. Sc

 Condensed Matter Physics

Condensed Matter Physics

Physics

 Imperial College London, London.

Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

   2010

2004

2002

ACADEMIC  AND  RESEARCH  EXPERIENCE

Postdoctoral Fellow Colorado State University, USA 01/2018 – Present
Working on thermoelectric , strongly correlated electronic systems, Light-Matter interactions and AMO properties.  Engaged in collaborative scholarly activities in addition to supervision of undergraduate and graduate students.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Assisting supervisor’s undergraduate and graduate courses on computational physics, computational material science, solid state physics and quantum mechanics.
Teaching Assistant Professor University of  Hafr  Al  Batin,  Saudi Arabia 11/2016 – 01/2018
Delivered courses on core undergraduate and graduate subjects (computational physics, Physics I & II etc), Supervised undergraduate and graduate theses, Served on different committees, Participated in curriculum development activities.
Research  Associate Concordia University, Montreal, Canada 08/2014 – 08/2016
Supervised undergraduate and master theses, worked on AMO and thermoelectric properties of graphene-like two-dimensional systems.
Postdoctoral Fellow KAUST, Saudi Arabia           03/2012 – 08/2014
Supervised undergraduate and graduate theses, worked on thermoelectric, quantum Hall effect & related transport properties and spin/valley Hall effects. Assisted supervisor’s graduate courses on computational physics, computational material science, solid state physics and quantum mechanics.
Teaching Assistant Professor University of  Sargodha 06/2010 – 03/2012
Delivered courses on undergraduate and graduate subjects (computational physics, solid state physics, quantum mechanics etc), supervised undergraduate and master theses, Served on committees including theses evaluation, Participated in curriculum development activities.

 PhD: GTA EXPERIENCE                                       Imperial College London                                               10/2006 – 05/2010

Worked as a demonstrator on undergraduate subjects (Solid state Physics, Quantum mechanics, General Physics (I & II), computational physics). Worked on quantum Hall effect & related transport properties and collective excitation.

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Research Associate grant (0.1 million $ CND) at Concordia, Canada…………………………….08 / 2014 – 08/2016
• Postdoctoral fellowship at KAUST (0.25 million USD $), Saudi Arabia……………………………03 / 2012 – 08/2014
• PhD research award (0.15 million USD) to Study at Imperial College London, U.K……………..09 / 2006 – 06/2010
• M. S. award to study at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad……………….. …………..Merit scholarship 2002-2004

STUDENTS ADVISED: THESIS COMPLETED (M.S.)

1. Maria Javaid: Chiral tunneling and Klein paradox in Bilayer Graphene: tunneling conducntance…………….. 2011
2. M. S. Hussain: Feasibility of a drift-induced instability in modulated graphene monolayer…………………….. 2012
3. Sajida Sikandar: Phase space analysis for graphene monolayer…………………………………………………..2013
4. Muhammad Umer : Transport properties of modulated graphene………………………………………………….2014
5. Muhammad Zubair : Magneto-transport properties of bilayer MoS2 ………………………………………………2015

Submitted  for  publications (See Google Scholar Profile)

  1. M. Tahir and H. Chen, Physical Review Letters, submitted (2020); “Floquet topological Flat bands in two-dimensional systems”.
  2. M. Tahir and H. Chen, Physical Review Letters, submitted (2020); “Unveiling quantum Hall effect in Floquet systems without external magnetic field”.

ARTICLES   IN  REFEREED   JOURNALS

  1. M. Tahir, Olivier Pinaud, and Hua Chen, Physical Review B 102, 035425 (2020); “Emergent flat band lattices in spatially periodic magnetic fields”.
  2. T. Ahmed, M. Tahir, M. X. Low, Y. Ren, S. A. Tawfik, E. L. H. Mayes, S. Kuriakose, S. Nawaz, M. J. S. Spencer, Hua Chen, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and S. Walia, Advanced Materials, in press (2020); “Fully light-controlled memory and neuromorphic computation in layered black phosphorus”.
  3. L. Wang, Z. N. Nilsson, M. Tahir, H. Chen, and J. B. Sambur, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 12, 15033 (2020) ; “Influence of the substrate on optical and photoelectrochemical properties of monolayer MoS2”.
  4. L. Wang, M. Tahir, H. Chen, and J. B. Sambur,  Nano Letters 19, 9084 (2019); “Probing charge carrier transport and recombination pathways in monolayer MoS2/WS2 heterojunction photoelectrodes”.
  5. T. Ahmed, S. Kuriakose, S. Abbas, M. J. S. Spencer, Md. A. Rahman, M. Tahir, Y. Lu, P. Sonar, V. Bansal, M. Bhaskaran, S. Sriram, and S. Walia, Advanced Functional Materials 20, 1901991 (2019); “Multifunctional optoelectronics via harnessing defects in layered black phosphorus”.
  6. L. Wang, M. Schmid, Z. N. Nilsson, M. Tahir, H. Chen, and J. B. Sambur, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 11, 19207 (2019); “Laser Annealing Improves Photoelectrochemical Activity of Ultrathin MoSe2 Photoelectrodes”.
  7. M. Zubair, M. Tahir, and P. Vasilopoulos, Physical Review B 98 155402 (2018); “Magneto-optical properties of bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides”.
  8. M. Tahir, P. M. Krstajic, and P. Vasilopoulos, Physical Review B 98 075429 (2018); “Electrically controlled dc and ac transport in bilayer WSe2”.
  9. M. Tahir,  Physica E 97, 184 (2018); “Electrical and optical transport properties of single layer WSe2”.
  10. M. Tahir, Physica E 91, 141 (2017); “Quantum magnetotransport properties of Floquet topological insulators”.
  11. M. Tahir, P. M. Krstajic, and P. Vasilopoulos, Physical Review B 95, 235402 (2017); “Magnetic and electric control of pin- and valley- polarized transport across tunnel  junctions on monolayer WSe2”.
  12. M. Tahir and P. Vasilopoulos, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 29, 425302 (2017); “Commensurability oscillations in modulated phosphorene”.
  13. M. Zubair, M. Tahir, P. Vasilopoulos, and K. Sabeeh, Physical Review B 96, 045405 (2017); “Quantum magnetotrasnport in a bilayer MoS2: influence of a perpendicular electric field”.
  14. M. Tahir, P. M. Krstajic, and P. Vasilopoulos, Europhysics Letters 118, 17001 (2017); “Zeeman- and electric- field control of pin- and valley- polarized transport through biased magnetic junctions on WSe2”.
  15. K. Rahim, A. Ullah, M. Tahir, and K. Sabeeh, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 29, 425304 (2017); “Magneto-optical properties of topological insulator thin films with broken inversion symmetry”.
  16. M. Tahir, P. Vasilopoulos, Physical Review B 94, 045415 (2016); “Magneto-optical transport properties of monolayer WSe2”.
  17. P. M. Krstajic, P. Vasilopoulos, and M. Tahir, Physical Review B 94, 085413 (2016); “Spin and valley polarized transport in a monolayer of MoS2”.
  18. M. Tahir, Q. Y. Zhang, and U. Schwingenschlogl, Scientific Reports 6, 31821 (2016); “Floquet edge states in germanene nano-ribbons”.
  19. M. Tahir, P. Vasilopoulos, and U. Schwingenschlogl, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 28, 385302 (2016); “Unconventional quantum Hall effect in Floquet topological insulators”.
  20. M. Tahir, P. Vasilopoulos and F. M. Peeters, Physical Review B 93, 035406 (2016); “Quantum Magneto-transport properties of a MoS2 monolayer”.
  21. M. Tahir and U. Schwingenschlogl, Annalen de Physik (Berlin) 528, 373 (2016); “Magnetoplasmons in gapped graphene in a periodically modulated magnetic field”.
  22. S. Nawz and M. Tahir, Physica E 76, 169 (2016); “Quantum capacitance in monolayers of silicene and related buckled materials”.
  23. P. M. Krstajic, P. Vasilopoulos, and M. Tahir, Physica E 75, 317 (2016); “Spin and valley polarized transport through ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic barriers on monolayer MoS2”.
  24. M. Tahir, P. Vasilopoulos and F. M. Peeters, Physical Review B 92, 045420 (2015); “Magneto-optical transport properties of monolayer phosphorene”.
  25. M. Tahir and P. Vasilopoulos, Physical Review B 91, 115311 (2015); “Off-resonant polarized light-controlled thermoelectric transport in ultrathin topological insulators”.
  26. M. Tahir and P. Vasilopoulos, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 27, 075303 (2015); “Electrically tunable magnetoplasmons in a monolayer of silicene or germanene”.
  27. M. Tahir and U. Schwingenschlögl, The European Physical Journal B 88, 285 (2015); “Photoinduced quantum magnetotransport properties of silicene and germanene”.
  28. T. P. Kaloni, M. Modarresi, M. Tahir, M. R. Roknabadi, G. Schreckenbach, and M. S. Freund, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 119, 11896 (2015); “Electrically Engineered band gap in two-dimensional Ge, Sn, and Pb: A First principles and tight binding approach”.
  29. M. Tahir, A. Manchon, and U. Schwingenschlögl, Physical Review B 90, 125438 (2014); “Photoinduced quantum spin and quantum valley Hall effects and orbital magnetization in monolayer of MoS2”.
  30.  M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, New Journal of Physics 16, 115003 (2014); ‘‘Tunable thermoelectricity in monolayers of MoS2 and other group-VI dichalcogenides”.
  31. M. Tahir, A. Manchon, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Journal of Applied Physics 116, 093708 (2014);  ‘‘Enhanced thermoelectric power in ultrathin topological insulators with magnetic doping”.
  32. M. Tahir, A. MacKinnon, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Scientific Reports 4, 4035 (2014); ‘‘Novel spectral features of nanoelectromechanical systems”.
  33. S. H. Sajjad, B. Rasul, A. H. Nizamani, and M. Tahir, Physica E 56, 263 (2014); ‘‘Feasibility of a drift induced instability in modulated graphene’’.
  34. M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh, A. Shaukat, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Journal of Applied Physics 114, 223711 (2013); ‘‘Theory of substrate, Zeeman, and electron-phonon interaction Effects on the quantum capacitance in graphene”.
  35. T. P. Kalini, M. Tahir, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Scientific Reports 3, 3192 (2013); ‘‘Quasi free-standing silicene in a superlattice with with hexagonal boron nitride”.
  36. Y. C. Cheng, Z. Y. Zhu, M. Tahir, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Europhysics Letters 102, 57001 (2013); “Spin-orbit-induced spin splittings in polar transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers’’.
  37. M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Europhysics Letters 102, 37001 (2013); “Quantum magnetotransport for the surface states of three-dimensional topological insulators in the presence of a Zeeman field”.
  38. M. Tahir, A. Manchon, K. Sabeeh, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Applied Physics Letters 102, 162412 (2013); ‘‘Quantum spin/valley Hall effect and topological insulator phase transitions in silicene”.
  39. M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Scientific Reports 3, 1261 (2013); ‘‘Quantum capacitance of an ultrathin topological insulator film in a magnetic field”.
  40. M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Scientific Reports 3, 1075 (2013); “Valley polarized Quantum Hall effect and topological insulator phase transitions in silicene”.
  41. M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Journal of Applied Physics 113, 043720 (2013); “Quantum magnetotransport properties of ultrathin topological insulator films”.
  42. M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Applied Physics Letters 101, 231609 (2012); “Quantum capacitance in topological insulators under strain in a tilted magnetic field”.
  43. M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Physical Review B 86, 075310 (2012); “Quantum magnetotransport properties of topological insulators under strain”.
  44. M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Applied Physics Letters 101, 132412 (2012); “Magnetocapacitance of an electrically tunable silicene device”.
  45. M. Tahir and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Applied Physics Letters 101, 013114 (2012); ‘‘Beating of magnetic oscillations in a graphene device probed by quantum capacitance”.
  46. M. Tahir and K. Sabeeh, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 24, 135005 (2012); “Gap opening in the zeroth Landau level in gapped graphene: pseudo-Zeeman splitting in an angular magnetic field”.
  47. M Tahir, K Sabeeh and A MacKinnon, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 23, 425304 (2011); “Temperature effects on the magnetoplasmon spectrum of a weakly modulated graphene monolayer”.
  48. M. Tahir and Angus Mackinnon, Physical Review B 81, 195444 (2010); “Time-dependent quantum transport in a resonant tunnel junction coupled to a nanomechanical oscillator”.
  49. M. Tahir, and K. Sabeeh, Physica E 42, 1915 (2010); “spin-orbit-interaction effects on magnetoplasmon spectrum of modulated two dimensional electron gas”.
  50. R. Nasir, M. K. Sabeeh, and M. Tahir, Physical Review B 81, 085402 (2010); “Magnetotransport of a periodically modulated graphene monolayer”.
  51. R. Nasir, M. Ahsan Zeb,  M. Tahir, and K. Sabeeh. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 22, 025503 (2010); “Thermodynamic properties of a weakly modulated graphene monolayer in a magnetic field”.
  52. M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh, and A. MacKinnon,  Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 22, 015801 (2010); “The Magnetoplasmon spectrum of a weakly modulated two-dimensional electron gas system”.
  53. M. Tahir and K. Sabeeh, Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 23, 3445 (2009); “Suppression of Weiss oscillations in the magnetoconductivity of modulated graphene monolayer”.
  54. M. Ahsan Zeb, K. Sabeeh and  M. Tahir, Physical Review B 78, 165420 (2008); “Chiral tunneling through time-periodic potential in monolayer graphene”.
  55. M. Tahir and K. Sabeeh,  Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 20, 425202 (2008); “Inter-band magnetoplasmons in mono- and bi-layer graphene”.
  56. M. Tahir and Angus Mackinnon, Physical Review B 77, 224305 (2008); “Quantum transport in a resonant tunnel junction coupled to a nanomechanical oscillator”.
  57. M. Tahir and K. Sabeeh, Physical Review B 77, 195421 (2008); “Quantum transport of Dirac electrons in graphene in the presence of a spatially modulated magnetic field”.
  58. M. Tahir and K. Sabeeh, Physical Review B 76, 195416 (2007); “Theory of Weiss oscillations in the magnetoplasmon spectrum of Dirac electrons in graphene”.
  59. M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh and Angus Mackinnon, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 19, 406226 (2007); “Weiss oscillations in the electronic structure of modulated graphene”.
  60. K. Sabeeh and M. Tahir, Physical Review B 71, 035325 (2005); “Collective excitations spectrum of a density modulated quasi-one-dimensional electron gas in a magnetic field”.

TALKS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

14.  M. Tahir and Hua Chen, March Meeting By the American Physical Society, USA, 02-06 March 2020; “Floquet topological Flat bands in two dimensional systems”.

13.  M. Tahir and Hua Chen, March Meeting By the American Physical Society, USA, 04-08 March 2019; “Emergent Flat band lattices in spatially periodic magnetic fields”.

12.  M. Tahir and Hua Chen, 12-13th October 2018; “2018 Annual Meeting of the APS Four Corners Section” By the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: ‘’Emergent Flat band lattices in spatially periodic magnetic fields.”

 11.  M. Tahir, 25th August Meeting 2018; “4th Front Range Advanced Magnetics Symposium” By the University of Colorado, Colorado Spring, USA: ‘’Emergent Flat band lattices in spatially periodic magnetic fields.”

 10.  M. Tahir, March Meeting By the American Physical Society, USA, 05-09 March 2018: ‘’Tuning thermoelectric transport in Floquet topological insulators.”

 9.  A. MacKinnon and M. Tahir, FQMT15, Prague, Czech Republic, 27-July to 1 August 2015: ‘’Transport in a quantum shuttle.”

 8.  M. Tahir, Aerospace conference, Islamabad, 23 August 2013: ‘’Thickness dependent thermoelectric transport in topological insulators.”

7.  M. Tahir, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Novel 2D material Conference in Bremen, Germany, 10-14 June 2013: ‘’Spin and valley polarized quantum Hall effect in silicene”

 6.  M. Tahir, A. MacKinnon, and U. Schwingenschlögl, Green’s function methods: next generation, Toulouse (France), 4-7 June 2013, “Spectral features of nanoelectromechanical systems using Keldysh nonequilibrium Green’s functions”

5.  M. Tahir, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Novel 2D material Conference in Bremen, Germany, 10-14 June 2013: ‘Quantum spin Hall effect, valley Hall effect, and topological insulator phase transitions in silicene”

4.  M. Tahir, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, 12th Joint MMM/Intermag Conference in Chicago, USA: Quantum spin and quantum valley Hall effect in silicene”

 3.  M. Tahir, and Udo Schwingenschlögl, Topological Materials, August 13, 2012 to August 17, 2012, University of Bremen, Germany: Activated transport for the surface states of topological insulators”

 2.  M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh, V. Fessatidis, N. J. M. Horing, Abstract ID: BAPS, R1.00177 (march, 2008). “Drift Instability of a 2D Magnetoplasma in a Periodic Potential”

 1.  M. Tahir, K. Sabeeh, V. Fessatidis, N. J. M. Horing, J. D. Mancini, Abstract ID: BAPS.2007.MAR. R1.141. “Magnetic Field Effects on Current Instability in a Weakly Modulated 2DEG”

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND SERVICES

  • Membership: Regular member of the American Physical Society (APS), USA.
  • Journal Referee: Physical Review Letters, Physical Review Applied, Physical Review B, npj Quantum Materials, New Journal of Physics, Journal of Physics: Condensed matter, Nanotechnology, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Physics Letters A, Physica E, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, Journal of Applied Physics, etc.
  • Outreach: Actively participate in STEM programs, local community events, public lectures and volunteer activities at local schools.