Chong Zu

Chong Zu is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Washington University, affiliated with the Department of Physics, the Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, and the Center for Quantum Leaps. His research focuses on quantum systems, leveraging solid-state spin defects like nitrogen-vacancy (NV) and silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond for quantum sensing, simulation, and computation.

Education: B.S. in Physics and Mathematics (Tsinghua University, 2011), Ph.D. in Physics (Tsinghua University, 2016). Postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley (2016–2021) under Prof. Norman Yao before joining Washington University in 2021.

Research emphasizes quantum-enhanced sensing (e.g., nanoscale magnetic/electric field detection), non-equilibrium quantum dynamics (spin-spin interactions in dense defect systems), and quantum information protocols (entanglement-based computation). His group explores applications in physics, chemistry, and biology under extreme conditions (e.g., cryogenic/high-temperature environments).

Notable projects include developing quantum sensors for in-vivo biological studies and investigating many-body quantum dynamics via spin defect arrays. Recent highlights include contributions to WashU’s quantum research initiatives, as covered in Inside WashU’s Quantum Quest (2024) and Flawed diamonds: Physicists gain quantum insights from imperfect crystals (2023).