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I started my tenure-track Assistant Professor Position in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University in August 2024. My research group is actively recruiting for several positions, including Postdoctoral Researchers, Ph.D., M.S., and undergraduate students for Spring and Fall 2025. If you are interested in joining our team, please email me with your CV.
Email: xzhao@msu.edu
About me
About me
I am currently serving as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University. My research combines heat transfer and advanced manufacturing to innovate thermal functional materials and structures aimed at decarbonization and sustainability. I have authored and co-authored over 40 journal articles in prestigious publications such as Science and Nature, accumulating around 6,600 citations according to Google Scholar (h-index: 29, i10-index: 39). My work has received considerable attention in various media outlets including "Maryland Today", "New Scientist", "Science Daily", and "The Engineer".
Research Interests
Research Interests
My research aim is to investigate fundamental heat transfer mechanisms from the atom to the system scale, using this knowledge to develop next-generation materials and systems for energy and sustainability, with a focus on the followings:
1-Energy-Efficient Buildings: Buildings are responsible for about 40% of energy use and 38% of CO2 emissions, with HVAC systems consuming half of this energy. Developing energy-efficient building materials can significantly reduce these emissions by lowering heating and cooling demands.
1-Energy-Efficient Buildings: Buildings are responsible for about 40% of energy use and 38% of CO2 emissions, with HVAC systems consuming half of this energy. Developing energy-efficient building materials can significantly reduce these emissions by lowering heating and cooling demands.
Thermal insulation materials
Passive radiative cooling
Dynamic/Insulating windows
2-Advanced Manufacturing: Unlike traditional heating, the Ultrafast High-temperature Sintering (UHS) technique enables rapid heating (10^3-10^4 °C/min) and cooling (10^4 °C/min) along with high sintering temperatures (3000 °C). This drives extreme and non-equilibrium materials synthesis and ceramic sintering.
2-Advanced Manufacturing: Unlike traditional heating, the Ultrafast High-temperature Sintering (UHS) technique enables rapid heating (10^3-10^4 °C/min) and cooling (10^4 °C/min) along with high sintering temperatures (3000 °C). This drives extreme and non-equilibrium materials synthesis and ceramic sintering.
Materials discovery via UHS
Ceramics for extreme thermal management
3-Power-Intensive Devices: High-power devices/systems like chips, smartphones, data centers, batteries, and electric cars experience high localized heat fluxes up to tens of kW/cm2 due to self-heating. Efficient heat dissipation can significantly improve efficiency and operational stability and diminish safety issues (e.g., fires in batteries).
3-Power-Intensive Devices: High-power devices/systems like chips, smartphones, data centers, batteries, and electric cars experience high localized heat fluxes up to tens of kW/cm2 due to self-heating. Efficient heat dissipation can significantly improve efficiency and operational stability and diminish safety issues (e.g., fires in batteries).
Thermal behavior modeling
Thermal control technologies
Thermal management materials
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