Group of Dr. Zhenwei
Yao
Research
My research area is theoretical and
computational soft matter physics. ‘Soft matter’ covers a large variety of systems
that are far beyond what its name indicates, including polymers, colloids,
liquid crystals, surfactants, granular matter, etc. All of these are
traditional research objects of materials scientists, biologists, and chemists.
Applying physical methods to these systems defines the subject of soft matter
physics.
An open question in this field is to
fully understand the origin of various ordered static and dynamic structures. A
common theme in my researches is the interplay of geometry, topology and
physics in the context of soft matter physics.
A video of brief introduction to the
researches in the group: download
Publications
Topological
defects
- Z. Yao,
Fast dynamics and emergent topological defects in long-range interacting
particle systems, Eur. Phys. J. E, 44, 89 (2021) download
- C.
Cheng, J. Li, and Z. Yao∗,
Ordering leads to multiple fast tracks in simulated collective escape of
human crowds, Soft Matter, 17, 5524 (2021) download
- Z. Yao,
Stress driven fractionalization of vacancies in regular packings of
elastic particles, Soft Matter, 16, 5633 (2020) download
- Z. Yao,
Command of collective dynamics by topological defects in spherical
crystals, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 228002 (2019) download
- Z. Yao,
Topological vacancies in spherical crystals, Soft Matter, 13, 5905 (2017) download
- X. Duan
and Z. Yao*, Curvature-driven stability of defects in nematic textures
over spherical disks, Phys. Rev. E, 95, 062706 (2017) download
- Z. Yao,
Dressed active particles in spherical crystals, Soft Matter, 12, 7020
(2016) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Dynamics of vacancies in two-dimensional
Lennard-Jones crystals, Phys. Rev. E 90, 062318 (2014); Highlighted in
Editors’ Suggestion download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Polydispersity-driven topological defects as
order-restoring excitations, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 111, 5094 (2014) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Topological defects in flat geometry: the role
of density inhomogeneity, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 115503 (2013) download
- E. Bendito, M. Bowick, A.
Medina, Z. Yao, Crystalline particle packings on constant mean curvature
(Delaunay) surfaces, Phys. Rev. E 88, 012405 (2013) download
- X.
Xing, H. Shin, M. Bowick, Z. Yao, L. Jia and M.
Li, Morphology of nematic and smectic vesicles, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
U.S.A. 109(14), 5202 (2011) download
- M. Bowick and Z. Yao*, Crystalline order on catenoidal
capillary bridges, Europhys. Lett. 93, 36001
(2011) download
Electrostatics
in soft matters
- H. Sun
and Z. Yao∗,
Conformal order and Poincaré-Klein mapping underlying electrostatics-driven
inhomogeneity in tethered membranes, Phys. Rev. E 108, 025001 (2023) download
- Z. Yao,
Charged elastic rings: deformation and dynamics, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 35, 045101 (2023) download
- Z. Yao,
Dynamical effects of long-range interaction revealed in screened Coulomb
interacting ring systems, Europhys. Lett. 133,
54002 (2021) download
- J.
Chen, X. Xing, and Z. Yao*, Depletion zones and crystallography on pinched
spheres, Phys. Rev. E, 97, 032605 (2018) download
- Z. Yao*
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Electrostatics-driven hierarchical buckling of
charged flexible ribbons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 148101 (2016) download
- V. Jadhao, Z. Yao, C. K. Thomas, and M. Olvera de la
Cruz, Coulomb energy of uniformly charged spheroidal shell systems, Phys.
Rev. E 91, 032305 (2015) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Electrostatic repulsion-driven crystallization
model arising from filament networks, Phys. Rev. E 87, 042605 (2013) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Packing of charged
chains on toroidal geometries, Phys. Rev. E 87, 012603 (2013) download
- Z. Yao,
M. Bowick and X. Ma, The
electric double layer structure around charged spherical interfaces, J.
Chem. Phys. 136, 044106 (2012) download
Geometries
in soft matters
- Y.
Zhang∗ and Z.
Yao, Alignment rule and geometric confinement lead to stability of a
vortex in active flow, Eur. Phys. J. E 46, 4 (2023) download
- J. Chen
and Z. Yao*, Geometry and physics in the deformations of crystalline caps,
Soft Matter 18, 5323 (2022) download
- Y.
Chen, Z. Yao, S. Tang, H. Tong, T. Yanagishima,
H. Tanaka*, and P. Tan*, Morphology selection kinetics of crystallization
in a sphere, Nat. Phys. 17, 121 (2021) download
- Z. Yao,
Stress-induced ordering of two-dimensional packings of elastic spheres,
Phys. Rev. E 101,062904 (2020) download
- J. Su, J. Chen, and Z. Yao (co-corresponding author),
Dehydration-driven morphological transformation of flexible vesicles on
liquid−solid interface, J. Phys. Chem. C, 123, 12268 (2019) download
- S. Liu,
Z. Yao, K. Chiou, S. I. Stupp, and M. Olvera de
la Cruz, Emergent perversions in the buckling of heterogeneous elastic
strips, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 113, 7100 (2016) download
- J. Su, Z. Yao (co-first author) and M. Olvera de la Cruz,
Vesicle geometries enabled by dynamically trapped states, ACS Nano 10,
2287−2294 (2016) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Ordered self-similar patterns in anisotropic
stochastic growth, J. Phys. Chem. B, (2016); Special Issue: William M. Gelbart Festschrift. download
- Z. Yao
and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Ruled surface underlying KcsA
potassium channels, Soft Matter 10(4), 540 (2014) download
- Z. Yao,
B. Qiao and M. Olvera de la Cruz, Potassium ions
in the cavity of a KcsA channel model, Phys.
Rev. E 88, 062712 (2013) download
- Z. Yao,
M. Bowick, X. Ma and R. Sknepnek,
Planar sheets meet negative curvature liquid interfaces, Europhys. Lett. 101, 44007 (2013) download
- Z. Yao,
R. Sknepnek, C. K. Thomas and M. Olvera de la
Cruz, Shapes of pored membranes, Soft Matter 8, 11613 (2012) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Bowick, Self-propulsion of droplets by
spatially-varying roughness, Soft Matter 8(4), 1142 (2011) download
- Z. Yao
and M. Bowick, The shrinking instability of toroidal
liquid droplets in the Stokes flow regime, Eur. Phys. J. E 34, 32 (2011) download
- S.
Zhao, S. Zhang, Z. Yao and L. Zhang, Equilibrium conformation of polymer
chains with noncircular cross section, Phys. Rev. E 74, 032801 (2006) download
- S.
Zhang, Z. Yao, S. Zhao and E. Zhang, Buckling and competition of energy
and entropy lead conformation of single-walled carbon nanocones,
Appl. Phys. Letts. 89, 131923 (2006) download
Problems
in classical physics
- Z.Yao, Non-linear dynamics and
emergent statistical regularity in classical Lennard–Jones three-body
system upon disturbance, Eur. Phys. J. B 96, 159 (2023) download SI
- Z. Yao,
Collective dynamics and shattering of disturbed two-dimensional
Lennard-Jones crystals, Eur. Phys. J. E, 45, 88 (2022) download Highlighted
on Cover
- L.
Yang, and Z. Yao*, Two and three electrons on a sphere: A generalized
Thomson problem, Phys. Rev. B, 97, 235431 (2018) download
- X.
Duan, and Z. Yao*, Harmonic field in knotted space, Phys. Rev. E (Rapid
Communications), 97, 040702 (R), (2018) download
- Z. Yao,
Propagating stress-pulses and wiggling transition revealed in string
dynamics, EPL, 121, 44002, (2018) download
- Z. Yao,
Emergent dynamic structures and statistical law in spherical lattice gas
automata, Phys. Rev. E, 96, 062139 (2017) download
Group
Members
Sun, Honghui (graduate
student), email: sunhongh2000_at_sjtu.edu.cn
Cai, Qiaochu
(graduate student), email: ranzhi_at_sjtu.edu.cn
Former Group Members:
Dr. Zhang, Yiheng
(postdoctor, 2021-2023)
Dr. Chen, Jingyuan
(Ph.D., 2017-2022, next step: Research Fellow, Mayo Clinic, USA)
Yang, Liu (Master Student, 2017-2019,
next step: pursuing Ph.D. at the University of Manchester, UK)
Duan, Xiuqing
(Master Student, 2016-2018, next step: pursuing Ph.D. at HKUST, Hong Kong)
Teaching
Lecturer, Advanced Statistical Physics,
2016-23
Lecturer, College Physics: Quantum
Physics, 2022-23
Lecturer, College Physics: Classical
Mechanics & Thermodynamics, 2020
Co-Lecturer, Quantum Mechanics, 2019
Co-Lecturer, Topics in Interdisciplinary
Science, 2022
Co-Lecturer, Graduate Soft Matter
Physics, 2017-23
Open
Positions
Our lab welcome interested undergraduate
and graduate students. Email: zyao_at_sjtu.edu.cn
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webpage updated in Dec, 2023 >>>>>>>>>>