。

● 2010.09 – 2015.09, PhD, Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

● 2005.08 – 2009.07, Bachelor, Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, China

● 2021.12 – Present, Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, China

● 2017.07 – 2021.12, Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, China

● 2015.09 – 2017.06, Postdoc, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA

Graduate course: Neutron scattering and material science; Neutron detection and measurement

Undergraduate course: Neutron: a discovery that changed the world (a seminar course for freshmen)

My research interest includes following two fields:

1. Soft matter physics. To be more specific, I am interested in using neutron/X-ray scattering and numerical methods to investigate the structure, dynamics and rheology of soft matter, including supercooled liquids, macromolecules, and glasses.

2. Neutron technologies. Particularly, I am interested in the technologies associated with the so-called compact accelerator-driven neutron source (CANS), including neutron spectroscopy, neutron target station and data processing.

● 2024-2025, Research project, State-owned enterprise, Principal Investigator

● 2023-2025, Key research project, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Principal Investigator

● 2021-2025, Development of a compact focusing small-angle neutron scattering spectrometer with wide Q range and high intensity gain based on a compact neutron source, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Major Participator

● 2020-2023, Exploring the microscopic mechanism of the deformation and flow of complex fluids with Rheo-Small-Angle Neutron Scattering, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator

● 2019-2022, Study on the new spin-echo polarized neutron analysis method, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Collaborator

● 2018-2021, National award for young talents, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Principal Investigator

Textbook/Monograph

Z. Wang, Neutron Scattering: Theory and Applications, Tsinghua University Press (2022). (in Chinese)

Papers

1. P. Bai, R. Zhang, Y. Luo, X. Wang, Z. Wang*, Beam quality deterioration related to target cooling in neutron-producing target station of AB-BNCT. J. Inst. 20, P03016 (2025).

2. L.-F. Wu, L.-F. Mao, Z. Wang*, Effective entanglement and constraint release in deformed polymer melts. Macromolecules 57, 3202-3211 (2024). (Highlighted by ACS Materials X)

3. K. Song, L.-F. Wu, D. Liu, Z. Wang*, Effect of free chain conformation on flow-induced shish nucleation in lightly cross-linked polyethylene. Macromolecules 56, 9189-9195 (2023).

4. H. Wu, D. Kong, L.-F. Wu, Y. Ke, M. Robertson, L. He, Z. Wang*, Structure, dynamics, and rheology of realistic Gaussian-core fluids: Unexpected anomalies and their macromolecular origin. Macromolecules 56, 5628-5634 (2023). (Supplementary journal cover)

5. K. Song, D. Liu, L.-F. Wu, Z. Wang*, Multiple kinetic processes of lamellar growth in crystallization of stretched lightly crosslinked polyethylene. Polymer 265, 125586 (2023).

6. D. Kong, W.-R. Chen, K.-Q. Zeng, L. Porcar, Z. Wang*, Localized elasticity governs the nonlinear rheology of colloidal supercooled liquids. Phys. Rev. X 12 041006 (2022). (Highlighted by Tsinghua News)

7. K. Song, L.-F. Wu, D. Liu*, L.-Z. Huang, X.-R. Miao, Z. Wang*, Flow-induced shish nucleation in lightly crosslinked polyethylene: Connecting polymer properties and strain to the final shish-kebab structure. Macromolecules 55, 6866-6875 (2022).

8. H. Wu, W. Hong, Y. Zhang, P. Bai, W. Mo, Y. Yang, H. Gong, Z. Zhang, X. Xu, W. Cai, P. Wang, Z. Wang, X. Wang*, Conceptual design of the grazing-incidence focusing small-angle neutron scattering (gif-SANS) instrument at CPHS. J. Neutron Research 23, 201-205 (2021).

9. H. Wu, K. Song, W.-R. Chen, J. Song, L. Porcar, Z. Wang*, Size and shape fluctuations of ultrasoft colloids. Phys. Rev. Res. 3, 033271 (2021).

10. K. Song, L.-F. Wu, D. Liu, L. Li*, J. Song, Z. Wang*, Revealing the detailed structure in flow-induced crystallization of semicrystalline polymers. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 22, 25206-25214 (2020).

11. H. Wu, Z. Wang, Y. Zhang, W. Mo, P. Bai, K. Song, Z. Zhang, Z. Wang, D. S. Hassey, Y. Liu, Z. Wang*, X. Wang*, Demonstration of small-angle neutron scattering measurements with a nested neutron-focusing supermirror assembly. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 972, 164072 (2020).

12. Z. Wang*, A. Faraone, P. Yin, L. Porcar, Y. Liu, C. Do, K. Hong, W.-R. Chen*, Dynamic equivalence between soft star polymers and hard spheres. ACS Macro Lett. 8, 1467-1473 (2019). (Supplementary journal cover)

13. H. Wu, Y. Yang, D. S. Hussey, Z. Wang, K. Song, Z. Zhang*, Z. Wang, Z. Wang, X. Wang*, Study of a nested neutron-focusing supermirror system for small-angle neutron scattering. Nuclear Inst. Method A 940, 380-386 (2019).

14. J.-M. Y. Carrillo, W.-R. Chen, Z. Wang, B. G. Sumpter, Y. Wang*, Chain conformation of polymer melts with associating groups. J. Phys. Commun. 3, 035007 (2019).

15. Z. Wang*, T. Iwashita, L. Porcar, Y. Wang, Y. Liu, L. E. Sánchez-Díaz, B. Wu, G.-R. Huang, T. Egami, W.-R. Chen*, Local elasticity in nonlinear rheology of interacting colloidal glasses revealed by neutron scattering and rheometry. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 21, 38-45 (2019). (Back cover)

16. Z.-Y. Wang, D. Kong, L. Yang, H. Ma*, F. Su, K. Ito, Y. Liu, X. Wang, Z. Wang*, Analysis of small angle neutron scattering spectra from deformed polymers with the spherical harmonic expansion method and a network model. Macromolecules 51, 9011-9018 (2018).

17. C. N. Lam, W.-S. Xu, W.-R. Chen, Z. Wang, C. B. Stanley, J.-M. Y. Carrillo, D. Uhrig, W. Wang, K. Hong, Y. Liu, L. Porcar, C. Do, G. S. Smith, B. G. Sumpter, Y. Wang*, Scaling behavior of anisotropy relaxation in deformed polymers. Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 117801 (2018).

18. H. Wu, L. Li, M. Tsuboi, Y. Cheng, W. Wang, E. Mamontov, S. Uchida, Z. Wang*, P. Yin*, Spatial-temporal characteristics of confined polymer motion determine proton conduction of polyoxometalate-poly(ethylene glycol) hybrid nanocomposites. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 5772-5777 (2018). (Supplementary journal cover)

19. G.-R. Huang, Y. Wang*, B. Wu, Z. Wang, C. Do, G. S. Smith, W. Bras, L. Porcar, P. Falus, W.-R. Chen*, Reconstruction of three-dimensional anisotropic structure from small-angle scattering experiments. Phys. Rev. E 96, 022612 (2017).

20. Z. Wang*, C. N. Lam, W.-R. Chen, W. Wang, J. Liu, Y. Liu, L. Porcar, C. B. Stanley, Z. Zhao, K. Hong, Y. Wang*, Fingerprinting molecular relaxation in deformed polymers. Phys. Rev. X 7, 031003 (2017). (Highlighted as the “Viewpoint in Physics” by American Physical Society, Selected as an “Annual Highlight” by NIST Center for Neutron Research)

Selected papers before 2017/7

Z. Wang, L. L. Daemen, Y. Cheng, E. Mamontov, P. Bonnesen, K. Hong, A. J. Ramirez-Cuesta, P. Yin*, Nanoconfinement inside molecular metal oxide clusters: dynamics and modified encapsulation behavior. Chem. Eur. J. 22, 14131-14136 (2016). (highlighted as the issue front cover)

Z. Wang, A. I. Kolesnikov, K. Ito, A. Podlesnyak, S.-H. Chen*, Pressure effect on the boson peak in deeply cooled confined water: evidence of a liquid-liquid transition. Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 235701 (2015).

Z. Wang, P. Le, K. Ito, J. B. Leão, M. Tyagi, S.-H. Chen*, Dynamic crossover in deeply cooled water confined in MCM-41 at 4 kbar and its relation to the liquid-liquid transition hypothesis. J. Chem. Phys. 143, 114508 (2015).

Z. Wang, K. Ito, J. B. Leão, L. Harriger, Y. Liu, S.-H. Chen*, Liquid−liquid phase transition and its phase diagram in deeply-cooled heavy water confined in a nanoporous silica matrix. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 6, 2009 (2015).

Z. Wang, E. Fratini, M. Li, P. Le, E. Mamontov, P. Baglioni, S.-H. Chen*, Hydration-dependent dynamic crossover phenomenon in protein hydration water. Phys. Rev. E 90, 042705 (2014).

Z. Wang, K.-H. Liu, L. Harriger, J. B. Leão, S.-H. Chen*, Evidence of the existence of the high-density and low-density phases in deeply-cooled confined heavy water under high pressures. J. Chem. Phys. 141, 014501 (2014).

Z. Wang, K.-H. Liu, P. Le, M. Li, W.-S. Chiang, J. B. Leão, J. R. D. Copley, M. Tyagi, A. Podlesnyak, A. I. Kolesnikov, C.-Y. Mou, S.-H. Chen*, Boson peak in deeply cooled confined water: a possible way to explore the existence of the liquid-to-liquid transition in water. Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 237802 (2014).

Z. Wang, W.-S. Chiang, P. Le, E. Fratini, M. Li, A. Alatas, P. Baglioni, S.-H. Chen*, One role of hydration water in proteins: key to the “softening” of short time intraprotein collective vibrations of a specific length scale. Soft Matter 10, 4298-4303 (2014).

Z. Wang, C. E. Bertrand, W.-S. Chiang, E. Fratini, P. Baglioni, A. Alatas, E. E. Alp, S.-H. Chen*, Inelastic x-ray scattering studies of the short-time collective vibrational motions in hydrated lysozyme powders and their possible relation to enzymatic function. J. Phys. Chem. B 117, 1186-1195 (2013).

Z. Wang, G.-Q. Wu, N. Ge, H.-P. Li*, C.-Y. Bao, Volt-Ampere and thermal features of a direct-current dual-jet plasma generator with a cold gas injection. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 38, 2906-2913 (2010).

● 2019-present, Reviewer of neutron beamline proposal, Spallation Neutron Source and High-Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

● 2021-present, Reviewer of neutron beamline proposal, Chinese Spallation Neutron Source

● 2021-present, Member, User Committee of Chinese Spallation Neutron Source

● 2023-present, Proposal reviewer, National Natural Science Foundation of China

● 2024-present, Member, Association of small-angle scattering of China

● 2017-present, Journal Referee for many international and Chinese Journals

2017, National award for young talents