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YANG Zhiyu 楊志宇
PhD, Purdue University
Professor
Tel 2358 7485
Fax 2358 1652
Email phyang
Office Room 4458
Prof Yang's main research area at present is the experimental elastic metamaterials. He participated in the study of the original locally resonant sonic metamaterials (coated spheres), and invented the membrane type metamaterials, based on which a number of novel structures and properties have been discovered. These include (i) the anti-resonance based decorated membrane resonator (DMR) which by itself serves as a strong transmission loss sound blocker even at frequencies around 100 Hz, (ii) doubly negative metamaterials based on DMR, (iii) dark acoustic metamaterials which are perfect sound absorbers and highly efficient vibration absorbers over a broad frequency range from a few thousand to near 50 Hz, (iv) hybrid resonant super absorption metamaterials that can totally absorb low frequency sound beams with cross section area many times larger than the physical area of the metamaterials. In the application side, he is the inventor of a number of light weight, thin, highly efficient sound proof panels that can block or absorb noise, and equally effective sound blocking blankets that are flexible and can be rolled up when not in use, and rolled out to cover the noise sources or quiet room entrance. These metamaterials have extremely wide range of applications in residential and commercial buildings, trains, ship, aircraft, factories, power plants, satellites and spacecraft, etc.

He has also worked on semiconductor quantum structures and interfaces, polymer dynamics, electromagnetic metamaterials, etc., but is no longer working in these areas anymore.

Prof Yang had served as the chairman of the Hong Kong Physics Olympiad Committee and head coach of the Hong Kong physics Olympiad team from 2003 to 2013. During the period, the HK team had won ten gold medals in International Physics Olympiads (IPhO’s), and two gold medals in Asia Physics Olympiads (APhO’s), including the 3rd place overall standing in APhO 2012. In their debut in IPhO 2004, the HK team became the first in IPhO history since it became a global event to win gold medal in their first participation of IPhO’s.
Research Areas
Elastic metamaterials; surface, interface and thin film physics; nanoscience
Representative Publications
  • “Acoustic metasurface with hybrid resonances”. Guancong Ma, Min Yang, Songwen Xiao, Zhiyu Yang, and Ping Sheng, Nature Materials 3994 (2014)
     
  • “Homogenization scheme for acoustic metamaterials”. Min Yang, Guancong Ma, Ying Wu, Zhiyu Yang, and Ping Sheng, Phys. Rev. B89, 064309 (2014)
     
  • “Coupled Membranes with Doubly Negative Mass Density and Bulk Modulus”, Min Yang, Guancong Ma, Zhiyu Yang, and Ping Sheng, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 134301 (2013)
     
  • “Low-frequency narrow-band acoustic filter with large orifice”, Guancong Ma, Min Yang, Zhiyu Yang, and Ping Sheng, Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 011903 (2013)
     
  • “Dark acoustic metamaterials as super absorbers for low-frequency sound”, Jun Mei, Guancong Ma, Min Yang, Zhiyu Yang, Weijia Wen & Ping Sheng, Nature Comm. 1758 (2012)
     
  • “Acoustic metamaterial panels for sound attenuation in the 50–1000 Hz regime”, Z. Yang, H. M. Dai, N. H. Chan, G. C. Ma, and Ping Sheng, App. Phys. Lett. 96, 041906 (2010)
     
  • “The absence of physical aging effects on the surface relaxations of rubbed polystyrene”, K. C. Wong, Zongyi Qin, and Z. Yang, Eur. Phys. J. E, 25, 291 – 298 (2008)
     
  • “Micropumps Based on the Enhanced Electroosmotic Effect of Aluminum Oxide Membranes”, J.Y. Miao, Z.L. Xu, X. Y. Zhang, N. Wang, Z. Y. Yang, P. Sheng, Adv. Mater. 19 4234 – 4237 (2007)
     
  • “ZnSTe-based visible-blind UV photovoltaic detectors”, I. K. Sou, C. L. Man, Z. H. Ma, Z. Yang, G. K. L. Wong, J. of Crystal Growth, 184/185, 1324 (1998)
     
  • "Optical Properties of the HgTe/CdTe Superlattices in Three Principal Regimes", Z. Yang, Z. Yu, Y. Lansari, J. W. Cook, Jr., and J. F. Schetzina, Phys. Rev. B49, 8096 (1994)
  Full Publication List [HKUST Scholarly Publications] 
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS