Donglin Zu | Physics and Astronomy | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Donglin Zu | Physics and Astronomy | Research Excellence Award

Peking University | China

Prof. Donglin Zu is a distinguished physicist whose career spans pioneering contributions to electromagnetics, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and, more recently, photon structure theory. His early work involved teaching electromagnetics and developing an independent NMR magnetometer, along with solving key control challenges in high-voltage electrostatic accelerators. His international research experience includes studying RF superconducting cavities at Cornell University, followed by leading a major project on the practical design of niobium cavities. Over two decades, he made significant advances in MRI engineering, contributing to wavelet-based medical image fusion, high-resolution NMR spectral reconstruction, shim coil design, permanent-magnet MRI optimization, and low-noise preamplifier development. He authored influential textbooks on electrodynamics and MRI, widely adopted in advanced training and research. His extensive publication record encompasses innovations in superconducting magnets, ferromagnetic shimming, pulse sequence optimization, image contrast mechanisms, and magnet design methodologies. As a long-term consultant to MRI industries, he helped translate theoretical principles into practical imaging technologies. In recent years, his research has shifted toward foundational physics, producing breakthrough models on single-photon structures, standing-wave photon behavior in constrained spaces, and multi-photon composite systems, marking a new phase of theoretical advancement with impactful emerging publications.

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Featured Publications

Zu, D. (2025). Standing wave photon structures in constraint spaces. Photonics.

Zu, D. (2025). Standing wave photon structures in constraint spaces [Preprint].

Zu, D. (2025). Single photon structure model and multi-photon composite monomer. Optics Express.

Zu, D. (2016). Electrodynamics (Rev. ed.). Tsinghua University Press.

Zu, D. (2015). Nuclear magnetic resonance imager. Science Press.

Zu, D., & Gao, J. (2014). Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Peking University Press.

Liu, W., Casanova, F., Blümich, B., & Zu, D. (2012). An efficacious target-field approach to design shim coils for Halbach magnet of mobile NMR sensors. Applied Magnetic Resonance.

Zhao, X., Wen, Z., Huang, F., Lu, S., Wang, X., Hu, S., Zu, D., & Zhou, J. (2011). Saturation power dependence of amide proton transfer image contrasts in human brain tumors and strokes at 3 T. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Cao, X., Zu, D., Zhao, X., Fan, Y., & Gao, J. (2011). The design of a low-noise preamplifier for MRI. Science China Technological Sciences.

Tang, X., Zu, D., Wang, T., & Han, B. (2010). An optimizing design method for a compact iron-shielded superconducting magnet for use in MRI. Superconductor Science and Technology.

Tang, X., Li-Ming, H., & Zu, D.-L. (2010). Active ferromagnetic shimming of the permanent magnet for magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Chinese Physics B.

Zhao, X., Chen, M., Zhang, C., Hu, S., & Zu, D. (2010). Experimental evaluation of dual acceptance window weighting function for right coronary MR angiography at 3.0 T. Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Zu, D., Liming, H., Xueming, C., & Xin, T. (2010). Analysis on background magnetic field to generate eddy current by pulsed gradient of permanent-magnet MRI. Science China Series E.

Giuseppe Emanuele Lio | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Giuseppe Emanuele Lio | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

Nanoscience Institute – CNR and NEST Labs at Scuola Normale Superiore | Italy

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🎓 Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Giuseppe Emanuele Lio began his academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Science of Innovative Materials and Nanotechnologies at the University of Calabria, Italy, where he explored plasmons in materials beyond graphene. He then pursued a Master’s degree in Science and Engineering of Innovative and Functional Materials in a dual program between the University of Calabria and the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), France. His thesis revolved around creating a nano-guided hybrid system to implement photonic transistors. He completed his PhD in Science and Technology of Physics, Chemistry, and Materials with excellence, focusing on hyper-resolute laser-writing mediated by ENZ metamaterials—a significant contribution to the field of nanophotonics.

🧑‍🔬 Professional Endeavors

Dr. Lio has held various academic and research roles across Italy and Europe. He lectured extensively at the University of Florence and University of Calabria, teaching physics and materials characterization. Professionally, he has collaborated with premier institutions such as CNR-Nanotec, CNR-INO, and the Catalan Institute of Nanotechnology. He has also worked with companies like Cooling Photonics and Aerospazio Technology, pushing the boundaries of applied optics in satellite communications and cooling technologies. Currently, he serves as a senior post-doctoral fellow at CNR-Nano, contributing to tunable metasurface design for LIDAR applications.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Lio’s research spans nanophotonics, metamaterials, ENZ media, and passive radiative cooling. He has been the principal investigator or key contributor to numerous computational and experimental projects, including FRESCO, FRESCO2, and BIOt. His work involves designing metasurfaces to enhance solar energy systems, thermal management, and optoelectronic devices. He is also deeply involved in international research collaborations with institutions in Spain, the U.S., Germany, and Poland. His innovative research extends to developing PUFs (Physical Unclonable Functions), optical scalpel technologies, and open-source measurement hardware.

🏆 Accolades and Recognition

Dr. Lio has been widely recognized for his academic excellence and scientific innovation. His accolades include the Best PhD Thesis Award from the Italian Society of Optics and Photonics (SIOF), the Best Doctoral Thesis in Applied Photonics by IEEE Photonics Society, and the Innovative Sustainability Award in Nanophotonics by De Gruyter. He also earned the Early Career Forum Award from the American Chemical Society and has won best poster presentations at renowned international conferences. He holds two certified patents and an OSHWA-certified open hardware device.

🌍 Impact and Influence

Through cross-disciplinary collaborations, Dr. Lio is shaping the future of sustainable photonics and nanomaterials. His work on passive radiative cooling is instrumental in enhancing photovoltaic efficiency and reducing heat emissions in smart materials. He has authored impactful publications in ACS Photonics, Cell Reports Physical Science, JACS, and Adv. Mater. Technol., among others. His international influence is evident through joint projects with Yale University, Ludwig Maximilian University, and other prestigious partners.

🌟 Legacy and Future Contributions

Dr. Giuseppe Emanuele Lio stands as a pioneering figure in the field of applied physics and nanophotonics. His legacy is defined by his commitment to bridging scientific theory with real-world applications—from intelligent cooling systems to next-gen optical security tools. As he continues to innovate at the intersection of materials science and photonic engineering, his future contributions promise to redefine thermal management, data security, and sustainable technologies in both academia and industry.

Publications


  • 📄 Open-hardware platform for synchronous performance testing of multiple passive radiative cooling materials
    Authors: Jérémy Werlé, Roberto Concas, Ernesto Pini, Diederik S. Wiersma, Lorenzo Pattelli, Giuseppe Emanuele Lio
    Journal: Cell Reports Physical Science
    Year: 2025


  • 📄 Near-Visible Low-Power Tuning of Nematic-Liquid Crystal Integrated Silicon Nitride Ring Resonator
    Authors: Jayita Dutta, Antonio Ferraro, Arnab Manna, Rui Chen, Alfredo Pane, Giuseppe Emanuele Lio, Roberto Caputo, Arka Majumdar
    Journal: ACS Photonics
    Year: 2025


  • 📄 Nanoplasmonic Isosbestics Uncover Mesoscale Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles on Soft Templates
    Authors: Jacopo Cardellini, Ilaria De Santis, Giuseppe Emanuele Lio, Marco Brucale, Francesco Valle, Virginia Catani, Ilenia Mastrolia, Marta Calabria, Massimo Dominici, Andrea Zendrini, et al.
    Journal: Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS)
    Year: 2025


  • 📄 Flexible Physical Unclonable Functions Based on Non-deterministically Distributed Dye-Doped Fibers and Droplets
    Authors: Mauro Daniel Luigi Bruno, Giuseppe Emanuele Lio, Antonio Ferraro, Sara Nocentini, Giuseppe Papuzzo, Agostino Forestiero, Giovanni Desiderio, Maria Penelope De Santo, Diederik Sybolt Wiersma, Roberto Caputo, et al.
    Journal: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
    Year: 2024


  • 📄 Unlocking Optical Coupling Tunability in Epsilon‐Near‐Zero Metamaterials Through Liquid Crystal Nanocavities
    Authors: Giuseppe Emanuele Lio, Antonio Ferraro, Bruno Zappone, Janusz Parka, Ewa Schab‐Balcerzak, Cesare Paolo Umeton, Francesco Riboli, Rafał Kowerdziej, Roberto Caputo
    Journal: Advanced Optical Materials
    Year: 2024


 

Hongming Liu | Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Hongming Liu | Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Guangxi University | China

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🎓 Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Hongming Liu began his academic journey at Jiangxi Normal University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (2010–2014). Eager to explore advanced chemical engineering principles, he pursued a Master of Engineering at Wuhan University under the mentorship of Prof. Xingguo Chen (2014–2016). His passion for innovation and deep inquiry led him to complete a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Wuhan University (2016–2020), where he continued his work under Prof. Chen. Further enriching his global research perspective, Dr. Liu spent a year (2018–2019) as a visiting scholar at the University of Houston, working with renowned chemist Prof. P. Shiv Halasyamani.

🏫 Professional Endeavors

Since 2020, Dr. Liu has been serving as an Assistant Professor at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University. In this role, he has actively mentored students, developed research projects in solid-state chemistry and optical materials, and continued publishing in high-impact journals. His multidisciplinary background has allowed him to bridge organic synthesis, crystallography, and photonic materials in a unique and impactful way.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Liu’s research focuses on nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, second harmonic generation (SHG), lanthanide and transition metal complexes, and bioinorganic chemistry. His work has led to the discovery and design of new inorganic and hybrid materials that possess significant applications in photonic devices and biomedical fields. Notably, his studies on iodates, tellurates, lanthanide nitrates, and terpyridine complexes have contributed to enhancing laser damage thresholds, band gap engineering, and anticancer activity of metal complexes.

🏆 Accolades and Recognition

With 29 peer-reviewed publications, an H-index of 10, and over 445 citations, Dr. Liu has established himself as a promising young researcher in materials chemistry. His contributions have appeared in leading journals like Chemical Science, Inorganic Chemistry, Dalton Transactions, Chemistry of Materials, and Angewandte Chemie. His global collaboration with researchers in the U.S. and China further reflects the broad scientific impact of his work.

🌍 Impact and Influence

Dr. Liu’s discoveries have significantly advanced the understanding of structure–property relationships in nonlinear optical crystals and bioactive coordination compounds. His work is paving the way for next-generation optoelectronic devices, while also offering novel therapeutic strategies using metal-based anticancer agents. His research bridges fundamental science with practical applications—ranging from light manipulation to potential medical treatments.

🔮 Legacy and Future Contributions

As a rising star in inorganic and materials chemistry, Dr. Hongming Liu is poised to make long-term contributions to photonic materials and coordination chemistry. His ability to innovate across disciplines and collaborate internationally suggests a bright future in shaping technologies critical to medicine, electronics, and energy. With continued research, teaching, and leadership, Dr. Liu is building a legacy of scientific excellence and educational impact.

Publications


📄 A Balance in SHG Response, Band Gap and Birefringence in a Series of Rare‑Earth Sulfate‑Iodate
Authors: Chunxiang Wu, Yuze Li, Zhengli Liang, Xiao Jiang, Hui Fang, Lixiang Qin, Xingyuan Bai, Lehui Liu, Xingxing Jiang, Zheshuai Lin, Hongming Liu
Journal: Journal of Molecular Structure
Year: 2025


📄 Different p‑block elements induce C3[111] octahedral distortion in titanium to generate an intense nonlinear effect
Authors: Z. Li, Z. Liang, J. Wan, L. Liu, C. Wu, P. Wang, X. Jiang, Z. Lin, H. Liu
Journal: Chemical Science
Year: 2025


📄 NaMoO₃(IO₃)(H₂O): water molecule introduction induces strong second harmonic generation response, widened band gap and large anisotropy
Authors: Y. Shui, Z. Liang, Z. Li, J. Wan, L. Liu, X. Jiang, Z. Lin, H. Liu
Journal: Dalton Transactions
Year: 2024


📄 Synthesis, cancer cell antiproliferative and antibacterial activity of zinc hydroxybenzoate complexes of substituted terpyridines
Authors: N. Zhang, D. Sun, X. Guan, B. Wang, Z. Wang, M. Chen, X. Xue, H. Liu, Z. Ma
Journal: Inorganic Chimica Acta
Year: 2024


📄 Synthesis of substituted terpyridine nickel nitrate complexes and their inhibitory selectivity against cancer cell lines
Authors: X. Huang, B. Wang, D. Sun, M. Chen, X. Xue, H. Liu, Y. Zhou, Z. Ma
Journal: Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry
Year: 2024