My research has covered a broad range of topics in high-pressure science including equations of state and the effect of deviatoric stress, bonding changes in compressed low-Z materials, hard x-ray-induced chemical reaction, phase transition, and materials synthesis.  At HPCAT, I led and directly contributed to the establishment of research capabilities from the ground up in several areas such as x-ray diffraction, inelastic x-ray Raman scattering and supporting laboratories.  Since 2003, I have been responsible for the development, design, construction, maintenance, upgrade and user operation of HPCAT’s integrated system of laser-heated diamond anvil cell and in-situ micro-focused x-ray diffraction for structural properties under simultaneous ultra-high PT conditions.

I received B. S. and M. S. degrees in Physics from Jilin University in China, a Ph. D. in Mineral Physics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington.  Before joining HPCAT in 2001, I worked as a senior scientist/research engineer at the General Electric Company for 6 years on high-PT diamond synthesis, properties and application.

Select Awards

• Whitney Technical Achievement Award, Corporate Research and Development Center, General Electric Company (1997)
• Global Outstanding Technical Achievement Award, General Electric Company (1998)
• Management Award, Superabrasives Division, General Electric Company (1999)

Press Release and Media Highlights

• “The formation of sp³ bonding in compressed BN” by Y. Meng et al.: selected as one of the Nature journal’s research highlights in 2004.
• “Inelastic x-ray scattering of dense solid oxygen: evidence for intermolecular bonding” by Y. Meng et al, 2008: Press Release – Carnegie Institution of Washington; News – Science Daily, Argonne News and more than 20 news reports.

Patents

• Meng, Y. and Anthony, T. R., Thermally diffused boron diamond and its production, US Patent 6,322,891, 11/27/2001.
• Dey, N., and Meng, Y., Titanium chromium alloy coated diamond crystals for use in saw blade segments and method of their production, US Patent 6,319,608, 11/20/2001, European Patent EP 1156096, 11/21/2001.
• Meng, Y., Boron doped blue diamond and its production, US Patent Application, 20040018137, 2004.
• D’Evelyn, M. P., Park, D-S, Anthony, T. R., Spiro, C. L., Meng, Y., Long, C. A., Surface impurity-enriched diamond and method of making, US Patent 6,887,144, 5/3/2005.

Select Publications

• Hrubiak, Rostislav; Yue Meng, and Guoyin Shen, ​“Microstructures define melting of molybdenum at high pressures,” Nat. Commun., 8, 14562, 2017.
• Hu, Q, DY Kim, W Yang, L Yang, Y Meng, L Zhang, and HK Mao, ​“FeO₂ and FeOOH under deep lower mantle conditions and the Earth’s oxygen-hydrogen cycle,” Nature, 534, 244, 2016.
• Y. Meng, R. Hrubiak, E. Rod, R. Boehler, and G. Shen, ​“New developments in laser-heated diamond anvil cell with in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction at High Pressure Collaborative Access Team,” Rev. Sci. Instrum., vol. 86, no. 7, p. 72201, 2015.
• B. Lavina and Y. Meng, ​“Unraveling the complexity of iron oxides at high pressure and temperature: Synthesis of Fe₅O₆,” Sci. Adv., vol. 1, no. 5, p. e1400260, 2015.
• L. Zhang, Y. Meng et al., ​“Disproportionation of (Mg, Fe)SiO₃ perovskite in Earth’s deep lower mantle,” Science, vol. 344, no. 6186, pp. 877–882, 2014.
• Cadien, A.  Q.Y. Hu, Y. Meng et al., ​“First-Order Liquid-Liquid Phase Transition in Cerium,” Phys.Rev. Lett. 110, 125503, 2013
• S. M. Dorfman, Y. Meng, V. B. Prakapenka, and T. S. Duffy, ​“Effects of Fe-enrichment on the equation of state and stability of (Mg, Fe)SiO₃ perovskite,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., vol. 361, pp. 249–257, 2013.
• L. Zhang, Y. Meng, P. Dera, W. Yang, W. L. Mao, and H. Mao, ​“Single-crystal structure determination of (Mg, Fe) SiO₃ postperovskite,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., vol. 110, no. 16, pp. 6292–6295, 2013.
• W. L. Mao, Y. Meng, and H. Mao, ​“Elastic anisotropy of ferromagnesian post-perovskite in Earth’s D’’ layer,” Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., vol. 180, no. 3–4, pp. 203–208, 2010.
• Y. Meng et al., ​“Inelastic x-ray scattering of dense solid oxygen: Evidence for intermolecular bonding,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., vol. 105, no. 33, pp. 11640–11644, 2008.
• Y. Meng, G. Shen, and H. K. Mao, ​“Double-sided laser heating system at HPCAT for in situ x-ray diffraction at high pressures and high temperatures,” J. Phys. Condens. Matter, vol. 18, no. 25, p. S1097, 2006.
• W. L. Mao, H.K. Mao, Y. Meng, P. J. Eng, M. Y. Hu, P. Chow, Y. Q. Cai, J. Shu, R. J. Hemley, ​“X-ray--Induced Dissociation of H₂O and Formation of an O₂--H₂ Alloy at High Pressure,” Science, vol. 314, no. 5799, pp. 636–638, 2006.
• Y. Meng et al., ​“Hard x-ray radiation induced dissociation of N₂ and O₂ molecules and the formation of ionic nitrogen oxide phases under pressure,” Phys. Rev. B, vol. 74, no. 21, p. 214107, 2006.
• Y. Meng et al., ​“The formation of sp³ bonding in compressed BN.,” Nat. Mater., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 111–114, 2004.
• Y. Meng, M. Newville, S. Sutton, J. Rakovan, and H.-K. Mao, ​“Fe and Ni impurities in synthetic diamond,” Am. Mineral., vol. 88, no. 10, pp. 1555–1559, 2003.
• Anthony, T. R. and Meng, Y., Stress generated by inhomogeneous distributions of inclusions in diamonds, Diamond and Related Materials, vol. 6, 120-129, 1997.
• Y. Meng, Y. Fei, D. J. Weidner, G. D. Gwanmesia, and J. Hu, ​“Hydrostatic compression of γ-Mg₂SiO₄ to mantle pressures and 700 K: Thermal equation of state and related thermoelastic properties,” Phys. Chem. Miner., vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 407–412, 1994.
• Y. Meng, D. J. Weidner, and Y. Fei, ​“Deviatoric stress in a quasi-hydrostatic diamond anvil cell: Effect on the volume-based pressure calibration,” Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 20, no. 12, pp. 1147–1150, 1993.
• Y. Meng et al., ​“In situ high P-TX ray diffraction studies on three polymorphs (α, β, γ) of Mg₂SiO₄,” J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, vol. 98, no. B12, pp. 22199–22207, 1993.