Yin-Kai Yu

Member of the Communist Party of China

Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences - Ph.D. student, 2024 Cohort

Sun Yat-sen University Alumni Association - Class of 2024 trustee

Email: yuyinkai@iphy.ac.cn

or newtonyyk@gmail.com

Study & Research Interests

• Foundations of physics, nonequilibrium statistical physics, condensed-matter theory, strongly correlated quantum many-body theory, and numerical simulations
• First to unveil the nonequilibrium criticality of fermions (critical relaxation and driven dynamics), discovering finite-time scaling beyond the Kibble-Zurek mechanism
• Proposed a theoretical framework that overcomes fermion sign problems through nonequilibrium methods
• Currently focuses on nonequilibrium critical dynamics with emergent supersymmetry and on sign problems in frustrated bosonic/spin systems

Publications

• Yin-Kai Yu, Zhi-Xuan Li, Shuai Yin, Zi-Xiang Li. Preempting fermion sign problem: Unveiling quantum criticality through nonequilibrium dynamics in imaginary time. Science Advances 12, eadz4856 (2026). [arXiv:2410.18854, PDF, Supplementary Materials]
• Cong Zhang, Yin-Kai Yu, Shao-Hang Shi, Zi-Xiang Li. Magnetic order and novel quantum criticality in the strongly interacting quasicrystals. 2025., arXiv:2512.13546
• Zhi Zeng, Yin-Kai Yu, Zi-Xiang Li, Shuai Yin. Nonequilibrium critical dynamics with emergent supersymmetry. Physical Review B 112, L060301 (2025, Letter). [arXiv:2408.06138, PDF]
• Zhi Zeng^#, Yin-Kai Yu^#, Zhi-Xuan Li^#, Zi-Xiang Li, Shuai Yin. Finite-time scaling beyond the Kibble-Zurek prerequisite in Dirac systems. Nature Communications 16, 6181 (2025). [arXiv:2403.19258, PDF]
• Yin-Kai Yu, Zhi Zeng, Yu-Rong Shu, Zi-Xiang Li, Shuai Yin, Nonequilibrium dynamics in Dirac quantum criticality. 2023., arXiv:2310.10601

Education Experience

• Sep 2024 - present: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Theoretical Physics, Ph.D. student (advisor: Zi-Xiang Li)
• Sep 2020 - Jul 2024: Sun Yat-sen University, School of Physics, B.S. in Physics (advisor: Shuai Yin)
• Sep 2017 - Jul 2020: Zhanjiang No. 1 High School, Physics Olympiad team member / president of the Chunlei Literature Society
• Sep 2014 - Jun 2017: Peicai School, Zhanjiang No. 1 Middle School, bilingual program
• Sep 2008 - Jun 2014: Haidong Primary School affiliated with Zhanjiang No. 2 Middle School

Honors

• 2025, UCAS Merit Student
• 2025, UCAS Outstanding Communist Youth League Cadre
• 2023, National Scholarship
• 2023, Sun Yat-sen University First-class Outstanding Student Scholarship
• 2022, National Encouragement Scholarship
• 2022, Sun Yat-sen University First-class Outstanding Student Scholarship
• 2022, Third Prize, 8th National College Physics Experiment Competition
• 2021, National Encouragement Scholarship
• 2021, Sun Yat-sen University First-class Outstanding Student Scholarship
• 2019, Second Prize, 36th Chinese Physics Olympiad (semifinal)
• 2018, Silver Medal, IAP Comprehensive Competition (Mathematics National Final)
• 2018, Zhanjiang Merit Student

Languages

• Mandarin
• Hubei dialect (Huanggang)
• English
• German; Cantonese

Coursework

• Quantum Field Theory, Topological Physics, General Relativity, Superconductivity, Ultracold Atomic Physics, Conformal Field Theory, Superstring Theory
• Theoretical Mechanics, Electrodynamics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Physics, Solid-State Physics
• Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena, Condensed-Matter Field Theory (selected topics)
• Group Theory, Lie Groups
• Studies of the Book of Changes, readings in classics of philosophy and aesthetics (Plato, Schiller), studies in Kant's philosophy of history

Some Skills

• Numerical methods: determinant quantum Monte Carlo (DQMC), time-evolving block decimation (TEBD), machine learning
• Programming languages: MATLAB, Python, Fortran, C, Mathematica, bash
• Graphic design: LaTeX, Adobe Illustrator
• Arts: pipa performance, classical Chinese poetry writing, pop-music creation (lyrics, composition, arrangement)