Zefei Wu

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

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About

Dr. Zefei Wu is a leading figure in the field of smart materials and microactuators, with a particular focus on phase-transition metal oxides. His most celebrated work centers on vanadium dioxide (VO₂), a material that undergoes a dramatic crystal structure change near room temperature. Wu’s major contribution lies in engineering single-crystalline VO₂ into high-performance bimorph actuators, a breakthrough detailed in his highly cited 2019 paper (51 citations). This work demonstrated how the material’s colossal volumetric change can be harnessed to create microscale devices that convert thermal or electrical energy into precise mechanical motion, offering unprecedented force and speed for applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and miniature robotics. By solving the challenge of integrating single-crystal quality with actuator design, Wu’s research has opened new pathways for soft robotics and adaptive optics. His findings are widely recognized for bridging fundamental materials physics with practical engineering, making him a key innovator in the next generation of compact, energy-efficient actuators.