My research area is theoretical and computational soft matter physics. 

‘Soft matter’ covers a wide variety of condensed matter systems, including polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, surfactants, granular matter, elastic membranes, etc. These systems possess the defining feature of sensitivity to external stimuli including but not limited to mechanical agitation. They exhibit fascinating complexity out of the subtle cooperation of many individual constituents. Applying concepts and methods of physics to these systems defines the subject of soft matter physics. 

An open question in this field is to fully understand the origin of static and dynamic order arising from complexity. A common theme in our research is the interplay of geometry, topology, and physics in the context of soft matter physics. We have a broad interest in understanding a wide range of soft matter systems from the perspectives of the emergent topological defects and the underlying geometric structures.

A video of brief introduction to the researches in the group: download

Topological defects

• R. Sun and Z. Yao*, Intrinsic statistical regularity of topological charges revealed in dynamical disk model, Phys. Rev. E 110, 035302 (2024) download
• H. Sun and Z. Yao*, Plastic instability of annular crystalline membrane in circular confinement, Phys. Rev. E 109, 044802 (2024)  download SI video 1 SI video 2
• 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

• Z. Yao, Intrinsic conformal order revealed in geometrically confined long-range repulsive particles, Europhys. Lett. 146, 46003 (2024) download SI
• 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 SI
• 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

• R. Sun and Z. Yao*, Defect-free and defective adaptations of crystalline sheets to stretching deformation, Phys. Rev. E 111, 055504 (2025) download
• Y. Zhang and Z. Yao*, Anisotropic odd elasticity with Hamiltonian curl forces, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 57, 455204 (2024) download Editors’ Choice Article
• 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 SI
• 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

Ye, Gengjie (graduate student), email: gjye_at_sjtu.edu.cn

Sun, Ranzhi (graduate student), email: ranzhi_at_sjtu.edu.cn

Former Group Members:

Dr. Sun, Honghui (PhD 2024)

Dr. Zhang, Yiheng (Postdoc 2023)

Dr. Chen, Jingyuan (PhD 2022)

Yang, Liu (Master 2019)

Duan, Xiuqing (Master 2018)

Lecturer, Advanced Statistical Physics, 2016-25

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, 2024

Co-Lecturer, Graduate Soft Matter Physics, 2017-25

Our lab welcome interested undergraduate and graduate students. Email: zyao_at_sjtu.edu.cn

>>>>>>>>>>>> webpage updated in June, 2025 >>>>>>>>>>