Experience
EDUCATION
2014 - 2019
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Cambridge, MA
Thesis: Radiative Transport in Transparent Aerogels for Solar Energy Harvesting
Research interest:
radiative transport, heat and mass transfer, optics and photonics, porous material
2012 - 2014
University of Pennsylvania
Thesis: Ultralight Shape-Recovering Plate Mechanical Metamaterials
M.S. in Nanotechnology
Philadelphia, PA
2008 - 2012
Tsinghua University
B.S. in Physics and Mathematics
Thesis: Photoanode Design for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells
Beijing, China
AWARDS
2021
Circle of Technical Excellence & Innovation (CTEI) – Business Level, 3M
2019
MIT Wunsch Foundation Silent Hoist and Crane Awards — Outstanding Graduate Research
2017 - 2019
MIT Tata Center Graduate Student Fellowship
2016
MIT Audience Award, Mechanical Engineering Research Exhibition
2014
Chee C. Tung (1966) Fellowship, MIT
Pappalardo Fellowship, MIT
John Henry Towne Fellow, UPenn
2008
Freshman Scholarship, Tsinghua (ranked 7 out of 118,000 in college entrance exam)
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2019 - Present
Thin Film Optics Design Engineer
Transportation and Electronics Business Group Lab
3M
St Paul, MN
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Birefringent Multilayer Polymeric Films for Light Control and Display Applications
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Energy Saving Potential Assessment of Radiative Cooling
2014 - 2019
Research Assistant
Tata Fellow
Device Research Laboratory
Mechanical Engineering
MIT
Cambridge, MA
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Ultra-Transparent Silica Aerogels for Solar Thermal Energy Applications
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Radiation Transfer in Random Media
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Natural Convection Suppression in High-Flux Evaporators
2012 - 2014
Research Assistant
Wolf Nanofabrication Facility
Bargatin's group
UPenn
Philadelphia, PA
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Shape-recovering metamaterials development via microfabrication and finite-element simulation
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Lithography process optimization for MEMS fabrication
2011 - 2012
Research Assistant
Prof. Lin Hong's Lab
Tsinghua University
Beijing, China
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Photoanode design and optimization for dye-sensitized solar cells
2010 - 2011
Research Intern
Elekta BMEI
Beijing, China
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RF waveguide modeling and simulation for medical linear particle accelerators
TEACHING AND MENTORING EXPERIENCE
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Malik Blackman, undergraduate researcher, MIT Summer Research Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2018
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Arny Leroy, Ph.D. student, MIT, 2017-2019
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Alina Dale LaPotin, Ph.D. student, MIT, 2018-2019
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Manoj Yadav, Ph.D. student, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, 2018-2020
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Eric Lu, undergraduate researcher, UPenn, 2013-2014
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Teaching Assistant for MEAM 503 Direct Energy Conversion: from Macro to Nano, UPenn, Fall 2013
Publications
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L. Zhao, B. Bhatia, L. Zhang, E. Strobach, L. Zhang, A. Leroy, M. K. Yadav, S. Yang, T. A. Cooper, L. A. Weinstein, A. Modi, S. B. Kedare, and E. N. Wang, “A passive high-temperature high-pressure solar steam generator for medical sterilization,” Joule, 2020 (in press)
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Z. Xu*, L. Zhang*, L. Zhao*, B. Li*, B. Bhatia, C. Wang, K. L. Wilke, Y. Song, O. Labban, J. Gao, T. Li, J. H. Lienhard, R. Wang, and E. N. Wang, “Ultrahigh-efficiency desalination via thermally-localized multistage solar still,” Energy Environ. Sci., 13, 830–839, 2020
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L. Zhao, M. Blackman, L. Zhang, B. Bhatia, A. Leroy, E. Strobach, E.N. Wang, “Plasmonic absorption-induced haze suppression in random scattering media,” Appl. Phys. Lett., 114(25), 251102, 2019
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L. Zhao, B. Bhatia, S. Yang, E. Strobach, L.A. Weinstein, T.A. Cooper, G. Chen, E.N. Wang, “Harnessing Heat Beyond 200 °C from Unconcentrated Sunlight with Nonevacuated Transparent Aerogels,” ACS Nano, 13(7), 7508-7516, 2019
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L. Zhao, E. Strobach, B. Bhatia, S. Yang, A. Leroy, L. Zhang, and E. N. Wang, “Theoretical and experimental investigation of haze in transparent aerogels,” Opt. Express 27(4), A39–A50, 2019
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L. Zhao, S. Yang, B. Bhatia, E. Strobach, E. N. Wang, “Modeling silica aerogel optical performance by determining its radiative properties,” AIP Adv. 6(2), 025123, 2016
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L. Zhang*, L. Zhao*, and E. N. Wang, “Stefan flow induced natural convection suppression on high-flux evaporator,” Int. Commun. Heat. Mass., 104255, 2020
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L. Zhang, R. Iwata, L. Zhao, S. Gong, Z. Lu, Y. Zhong, J. Zhu, S. Cruz, K. L. Wilke, P. Cheng, and E. N. Wang “Distribution of nucleation sites: a general theoretical framework with validation in droplet condensation,” Cell Reports Physical Science, 2020 (in press)
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A. LaPotin, Y. Zhong, L. Zhang, L. Zhao, A. Leroy, H. Kim, S. R. Rao, and E. N. Wang, “Dual-stage atmospheric water harvesting device for scalable solar-driven water production,” Joule, 2020 (in press)
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L. Zhang, Z. Xu, B. Bhatia, B. Li, L. Zhao, E. N. Wang, “Modeling and performance analysis of high-efficiency thermally-localized multistage solar stills,” Appl. Energy 266, 114864, 2020
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L. Zhao*, L. Zhang*, B. Bhatia, E.N. Wang, “Understanding anti-parity-time symmetric systems with a conventional heat transfer framework -- comment on “Anti-parity-time symmetry in diffusive systems”,” arXiv preprint, 1906.08431, 2019
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A. Leroy, B. Bhatia, C. C. Kelsall, A. Castillejo-Cuberos, M. Di Capua Hidalgo, L. Zhao, L. Zhang, A. Guzman Cuevas, and E. N. Wang, “High-performance sub-ambient radiative cooling enabled by optically selective and thermally insulating polyethylene aerogel,” Sci. Adv. 5, eaat9480, 2019
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E. Strobach, B. Bhatia, S. Yang, L. Zhao, and E. N. Wang, “High Temperature Stability of Transparent Silica Aerogels for Solar Thermal Applications,” APL Mater. 7(8), 081104, 2019
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E. Strobach, B. Bhatia, L. Zhao, and E. N. Wang, “Thermal Performance of High-Efficiency Window Technologies,” Annual Review of Heat Transfer, 2019
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L. Zhang, Z. Lu, Y. Song, L. Zhao, B. Bhatia, K.R. Bagnall, E.N. Wang, “Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Using Micro-Raman Spectroscopy,” Nano Lett. 19 4745–4751, 2019
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L. Zhang, J. Zhu, K. Wilke, Z. Xu, L. Zhao, L. L. Goddard, and E. N. Wang, “Enhanced environmental scanning electron microscopy for condensing droplets analysis,” ACS Nano. 13(2), 1953-1960, 2019
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A. Leroy, B. Bhatia, L. Zhao, and E. N. Wang, “Specular side reflectors for high efficiency thermal-to-optical energy conversion,” Opt. Express 26(10), A462–A479, 2018
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B. Bhatia, A. Leroy, Y. Shen, L. Zhao, M. Gianello, D. Li, T. Gu, J. H, M. Soljačić, and E. N. Wang, “Passive directional sub-ambient daytime radiative cooling,” Nat. Commun. 9(1), 5001, 2018
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L. Zhang, Y. Zhu, Z. Lu, L. Zhao, S. R. Rao, and E. N. Wang, “Characterization of thin film evaporation in micropillar wicks using micro-Raman spectroscopy,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 113(16), 163701, 2018
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L. A. Weinstein, K. McEnaney, E. Strobach, S. Yang, B. Bhatia, L. Zhao, Y. Huang, J. Loomis, F. Cao, S. V. Boriskina, Z. Ren, E. N. Wang, and G. Chen, “A Hybrid Electric and Thermal Solar Receiver,” Joule 2(5), 962-975, 2018
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H. Kim, S. R. Rao, E. A. Kapustin, L. Zhao, S. Yang, O. M. Yaghi, and E. N. Wang, “Adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting device for arid climates,” Nat. Commun. 9(1), 1191, 2018
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E. Strobach, B. Bhatia, S. Yang, L. Zhao, and E. N. Wang, “High Temperature Annealing for Structural Optimization of Silica Aerogels in Solar Thermal Applications,” J. Non. Cryst. Solids 462, 72–77, 2017
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K. Davami, L. Zhao, E. Lu, J. Cortes, C. Lin, D.E. Lilley, P.K. Purohit, and I. Bargatin, “Ultralight shape-recovering plate mechanical metamaterials,” Nat. Commun. 6, 10019, 2015
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Y. Oda, H. Shen, L. Zhao, J. Li, M. Iwamoto, and H. Lin, “Energetic alignment in nontoxic SnS quantum dot-sensitized solar cell employing spiro-OMeTAD as the solid-state electrolyte,” Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 15(3), 035006, 2014
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H. Shen, J. Li, L. Zhao, S. Zhang, W. Wang, D. Oron, and H. Lin, “Synergistic recombination suppression by an inorganic layer and organic dye molecules in highly photostable quantum dot sensitized solar cells,” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16(3), 6250-6256, 2014
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K. Abe, H. Shen, X. Li, L. Zhao, X. Zhao, J. Li, M. Iwamoto, and H. Lin, “Optical and electrical properties of uniform non-toxic Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystal and its application in solar cells,” Polyhedron 82, 148-153, 2014
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H. Shen, H. Lin, L. Zhao, Y. Liu, and D. Oron, “Large Pore Size and High Porosity of TiO2 Photoanode for Excellent Photovoltaic Performance of CdS Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cell,” J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 13(2), 1095-1100, 2013
*equal contribution