Xiujuan Zhang

Precise control of waves and particles is a key challenge in modern science and technology. Conventional materials often suffer from defects and impurities that cause significant scattering and energy loss during transmission, severely limiting their practical applications. Focusing on the intersection of topological physics and metamaterials, Xiujuan Zhang proposed a multi-dimensional topological phase transition theory, revealing the mechanism of multi-dimensional topological states in higher-order topological insulators. This offers a novel theoretical framework for achieving multi-dimensional, defect-immune wave propagation and localization.

Experimentally, she designed and constructed higher-order topological acoustic metamaterials, successfully verifying their highly robust wave propagation/localization and establishing an experimental basis for these novel topological phases. In addition, Xiujuan creatively introduced non-Hermitian physics into topological metamaterials, proposing and verifying non-Hermitian higher-order topological materials as well as the non-Hermitian skin effect. Based on the latter, she achieved over 80% efficient absorption of sound waves across a broad frequency band of 100 - 1000 Hz, providing an innovative solution to the long-standing problem of low-frequency noise control.

Her breakthrough work has not only addressed key scientific questions about the realization and characterization of higher-order topological phases but also pioneered new approaches for developing transformative technologies such as robust multi-channel information transport, deep-subwavelength acoustic tweezers and high-sensitivity sensors. Several of her achievements have generated extensive international impact, with the new mechanisms she proposed being cited multiple times in Science, Nature and other prestigious journals and featured as representative work in the field.