1. Novel semiconductor materials and devices, including flexible optoelectronic devices and self-powered photodetectors;
2. Low-dimension nitride materials and devices, including GaN-based nanowires and molecular beam epitaxy.
Employment
2026—Present Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics (SINANO), Research Fellow.
2022—Present University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Master Supervisor.
2021—2025 CAS, SINANO, Associate Research Fellow.
2018—2019 Leibniz Association (Germany), Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik,
Postdoctor (Awarded Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowships).
2017—2020 CAS, SINANO, Assistant Research Fellow.
Education
2012—2017 Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), Doctor of Engineering Science (Awarded Doctoral National Scholarship).
2015—2016 University of Liverpool (UK), Joint PhD candidate (Supported by China Scholarship Council).
2008—2012 XJTU, Double Bachelor's Degrees (Engineering & Economics).
In the past 5 years (Since 2021), as the first author or responsible corresponding author, he has published ~ 40 academic papers in the worldwide well-known SCI journals, such as Light-Science & Applications, Cell Reports Physical Science, Adv. Funct. Mater. (Front Cover), Nano Energy, Nano Research (Front Cover), ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, Science China-Information Sciences, Communications Materials (Invited), Chip (Front Cover), Small Methods, Photonics Research, ACS Photonics, APL Photonics (Invited), Advanced Optical Materials (Front Cover), Appl. Phys. Lett., Mater. Adv., Optics Letters. 6 papers have been selected as Journal Cover and reported by the official website of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) as news. Furthermore, he has been authorized > 10 invention patents, such as the USA and Japanese patents (The first inventor). As the first leader, he has guided / completed > 10 projects, including 3 projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 5 provincial projects and 4 projects of CAS.
Currently, he is an Research Fellow and a Specially-Employed Key Member at CAS. He also serves as a Postgraduate Supervisor at University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He has been awarded several academic awards, including German Leibniz-DAAD Scholar, High-level Talent of Jiangsu Province, Smart-chip Leader of Chinese Institute of Electronics, Youth Talent Support of Jiangsu Province, Vice President of Technology Company in Jiangsu Province, Wiley Excellent Author, etc. In addition, he serves as Academic Editor for Exploration (Wiley, IF: 22.5), Youth Editor for Innovation (Cell press, IF: 25.7), Chip (Elsevier, IF: 7.1) and Brain-X (Wiley), Guest Editor for 4 SCI journals by managing Special Issue, as well as the Reviewer for > 20 well-known SCI journals, such asJ. Am. Chem. Soc., Nano-Micro Letters, Adv. Funct. Mater., etc. He is also a Reviewer for many National (NSFC) projects and Provincial projects.
Selected Publication (Since 2022):
1. Min Jiang, Yukun Zhao*, Tong Liu, Yanyan Chang, Yuan Tang, Min Zhou, Yiping Shi, Jianya Zhang*, Lifeng Bian*, Shulong Lu*. A dual-mode transparent device for 360° quasi-omnidirectional self-driven photodetection and efficient ultralow-power neuromorphic computing. Light:Science & Applications14, 273 (2025).
2. Linrui Cheng, Jie Yin, Binbin Hou, Yuan Tang, Zhiyang Liu, Baotian Xu, Rui Xu, Jianya Zhang*, Fangren Hu*, and Yukun Zhao*. Multifunctional integrated micro-light-emitting diodes for self-powered photodetection and neuromorphic computing. Cell Reports Physical Science6, 102913 (2025).
3. Min Jiang, Yukun Zhao*, Lifeng Bian, Wei Chen, Kang Yang, Min Zhou, Jianya Zhang, Yudie Wang, Haidin Sun*, Shulong Lu*. Realizing bidirectional photocurrent in monolithic dual-mode device for neuromorphic vision and logically-encrypted transmission. Adv. Funct. Mater.35,2416288 (2025, Front Cover).
4. Min Zhou, Min Jiang, Chaoyun Song*, Kai Xu, Zexin Yu, Lifeng Bian, Liubin Yang, Jianya Zhang*, Shulong Lu*, Yukun Zhao*. Improving multifunctional monolithic nano-device by single (Al,Ga)N nanowire/graphene van der Waals heterostructure for neuromorphic computing, photodetection and imaging. Communications Materials6, 83 (2025).
5. Liubin Yang, Jianya Zhang*, Linrui Cheng, Qiyu Xu, Yibin Wang, Yonglin Huang*, Yukun Zhao*. A controllable method to integrate single GaN/Ga2O3 nanowire into ultralow-energy-consumption synaptic nano-device for neuromorphic computing. Advanced Optical Materials13, e02484 (2025, Front Cover).
6. Yanyan Chang, Min Jiang, Lian Ji*, Yukun Zhao*. Bifunctional monolithic transparent device for both neuromorphic computing and 360° omnidirectional self-driven photodetection. Science China-Information Sciences68, 202403 (2025).
7. Jianya Zhang, Jiamin Li, Liubin Yang, Yiping Shi, Zhiyang Liu, Jiyou Liu, Yibin Wang, Rui Xu, Yukun Zhao*. Electric-stimulated controllable synaptic GaN nano-device for neuromorphic computing. Chip4, 100149 (2025).
8. Yuan Tang, Jiawen Wang, Yu Jin, Jianya Zhang*, Yiping Shi, Tianxiang Wang, Rui Xu, Zhiyang Liu, Yukun Zhao*, Self-powered deep-UV photodetectors based on (In,Ga)O nanowires for humanoid robots controlling. Applied Physics Letters126, 262104 (2025).
9. Jianya Zhang, Jiamin Li, Rui Xu, Yudie Wang, Jiawen Wang, Tianxiang Wang, Yukun Zhao*. A self-driven Ga2O3 memristor synapse for humanoid robot learning. Small Methods9, 2400989 (2025).
10. Rui Xu, Junyi Li, Tianxiang Wang, Yilin Shen, Liubin Yang, Yiping Shi, Linrui Cheng, Jianya Zhang*, Yukun Zhao*. A self-powered synaptic device based on InGaO nanowires for humanoid robot learning. ACS Appl. Electron. Mater.7, 9056 (2025).
11. Liubin Yang, Xiushuo Gu, Min Zhou, Jianya Zhang, Yonglin Huang*, Yukun Zhao*. Deep-UV-photo-excited synaptic Ga2O3 nano-device with low-energy consumption for neuromorphic computing.Journal of Semiconductors46, 022401 (2025).
12. Jianya Zhang, Peng Ding, Yukun Zhao*, Tianxiang Wang, Yudie Wang, Zhiyang Liu, Helun Song*, Yuewu Zhao* and Shulong Lu. Improve self-driven nanowire-based ultraviolet photodetector by metal–organic frameworks for controlling humanoid robot. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces16, 55715 (2024).
13. Xiushuo Gu, Min Zhou, Yukun Zhao*, Qianyi Zhang, Jianya Zhang, Yonglin Huang*, Shulong Lu. Realize ultralow-energy-consumption photo-synaptic device based on a single (Al,Ga)N nanowire for neuromorphic computing. Nano Research17, 1933 (2024, Front Cover).
14. Min Jiang, Yukun Zhao*, Penghui Zheng, Jianya Zhang, Wenxian Yang, Min Zhou, Yuanyuan Wu, Renjun Pei, Shulong Lu*. Flexible bidirectional self-powered photodetector with significantly reduced volume and accelerated response speed based on hydrogel and lift-off GaN-based nanowires. Fundamental Research4, 369 (2024).
15. Min Zhou, Yukun Zhao*, Qianyi Zhang, Xiushuo Gu, Jianya Zhang, Min Jiang, Shulong Lu. Enhance the responsivity of self-driven ultraviolet photodetector by (Al,Ga)N nanowire/graphene/PVDF heterojunction with high stability. Optics Letters49, 338 (2024).
16. Binbin Hou, Qianyi Zhang, Jianya Zhang, Renjun Pei* and Yukun Zhao*. Flexible monolithic bifunctional device based on lift-off (In,Ga)N film for both lighting and self-driven detection. ACS Omega9, 8117 (2024, Front Cover).
17. Qianyi Zhang, Binbin Hou, Jianya Zhang, Xiushuo Gu, Yonglin Huang*, Renjun Pei*, Yukun Zhao*. Flexible light-stimulated artificial synapse based on detached (In,Ga)N thin film for neuromorphic computing. Nanotechnology35, 235202 (2024).
18. Min Zhou, Yukun Zhao*, Xiushuo Gu, Qianyi Zhang, Jianya Zhang, Min Jiang, Shulong Lu*. Light-stimulated low-power artificial synapse based on a single GaN nanowire for neuromorphic computing. Photonics Research11, 1667 (2023, Editor's Pick).
19. Min Zhou, Yukun Zhao*, Xiushuo Gu, Qianyi Zhang, Jianya Zhang, Min Jiang, Shulong Lu*. Realize low-power artificial photonic synapse based on (Al,Ga)N nanowire/graphene heterojunction for neuromorphic computing. APL Photonics8, 076107 (2023, invited).
20. Jianya Zhang, Bo Jiao, Jinfei Dai, Dongmin Wu, Zhaoxin Wu, Lifeng Bian, Yukun Zhao*, Wenxian Yang, Min Jiang, Shulong Lu*. Enhance the responsivity and response speed of self-powered ultraviolet photodetector by GaN/CsPbBr3 core-shell nanowire heterojunction and hydrogel. Nano Energy100, 107437 (2022).
