Group of Dr. Zhenwei
Yao
Research
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
Publications
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
Group
Members
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)
Teaching
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
Open
Positions
Our lab welcome interested undergraduate
and graduate students. Email: zyao_at_sjtu.edu.cn
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webpage updated in June, 2025 >>>>>>>>>>