Ph.D., National University of Defense Technology, China
Visiting Ph.D. Student, University of Cambridge, UK
M.S., National University of Defense Technology, China
B.S., Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China

Associate Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China: 2026.04 – Present
Associate Professor, National University of Defense Technology, China
Assistant Professor, National University of Defense Technology, China

1. Research Interests
Current research focus on high-precision MEMS/NEMS sensors and fundamental dynamics at the micro- and nanoscale:
(1) High-Precision MEMS/NEMS Resonant Sensors
Development of novel architectures, operating principles, and performance-enhancement methods for MEMS gyroscopes and other resonant sensors.
(2) Nonlinear Dynamics of Micro- and Nanoelectromechanical Systems
Investigation of nonlinear responses, nonlinear dissipation, and phononic lasing, phononic frequency combs, and other complex dynamical behaviors in MEMS/NEMS resonant structures.
(3) Dissipation Mechanisms and High-Q Micro/Nanomechanical Resonators
Investigation and control of energy-loss mechanisms, including thermoelastic dissipation and anchor loss, with the aim of developing MEMS/NEMS resonators with high quality factors.
(4) Modal Coupling and Dynamical Control
Investigation of modal coupling, energy transfer, parametric modulation, and closed-loop dynamics in multimode micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems.
(5) Singularity Physics and Singularity-Enhanced Sensing
Investigation of higher-order singularities and catastrophe phenomena in phase-tracked MEMS/NEMS oscillatory systems, as well as their applications to highly sensitive MEMS sensing.
(6) Non-Hermitian MEMS/NEMS
Investigation of non-Hermitian phenomena including dissipation engineering, virtual phononic gain, complex-frequency excitation, exceptional points and their topological properties, with an emphasis on developing new mechanisms for high-performance micro- and nanoscale sensing.
(7) Micro- and Nanofabrication Technologies
Development of micro/nanofabrication, integrated manufacturing, and related process technologies for MEMS/NEMS devices and systems.

2. Previous Research
(1) High-Precision MEMS Gyroscopes and High-Q MEMS Resonators
We proposed a stiffness–mass decoupling design approach [11,12,14], in which MEMS resonator architectures are engineered to decouple the resonant frequency from the thermal relaxation frequency. This strategy provides a new structural design paradigm for suppressing thermoelastic dissipation and improving resonator quality factors. Disk resonator gyroscopes developed using this approach have achieved a maximum quality factor of approximately 0.7M and a ring-down time constant of approximately 70 s, together with a gyroscope performance approaching the near-navigation grade.
(2) Modal Coupling and Dynamical Manipulations of Interactions in MEMS
We have investigated the physical origins and dynamical control of modal coupling in MEMS resonators and pioneered the manipulation of modal-coupling dynamics within a single MEMS resonator through electrostatic nonlinearities [3]. This work established a foundation for exploiting controllable modal interactions to investigate complex MEMS dynamics and develop new mechanisms for MEMS device control. We also discovered a new nonlinear dispersive parametric coupling effect [7].
(3) Higher-Order Singularities in Phase-Tracked Dynamics
We discovered a new higher-order singularity in phase-tracked MEMS oscillators. Specifically, a third-order cusp singularity was identified in the phase-locked-looped controlled steady states of two coherently coupled modes. We demonstrated that the phase-tracking approach conbined with interacting systems will result in fascinating singular dynamics [2].
(4) Singularity-Enhanced Chip-Scale Inertial Sensing
We further introduced higher-order singularity physics into MEMS inertial sensing and demonstrated, for the first time, a singularity-enhanced Coriolis effect. Experiments demonstrated an approximately 1,000-fold enhancement in sensitivity, and a MEMS gyroscope with the potential to achieve strategic-grade performance was developed [1].
(5) Non-Hermitian MEMS and Exceptional-Point Dynamics
More recently, we have extended our research to non-Hermitian MEMS systems. By engineering thermoelastic dissipation, we constructed non-Hermitian MEMS resonant systems and investigated the dynamical encircling of exceptional points using phase-tracking-based closed-loop control [5,6,16,17].

Excellent Young Scientists Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Chinese version of NSF Career Award), 2026
Outstanding Young Scholar Development Program of School of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), 2026
Outstanding M.S. Thesis Supervisor, National University of Defense Technology, 2026
Outstanding M.S. Thesis Supervisor of Hunan Province, 2024
Outstanding M.S. Thesis Supervisor, Chinese Society of Inertial Technology, 2022
First Prize of the Ministerial Level Science and Technology Progress Award, 2022
Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award of Hunan Province, 2021
Excellent Young Scientists Fund of Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation, 2021
High-Level Innovative Talent Development Program, National University of Defense Technology, 2021
Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), 2020
Top Ten Academic Innovation Stars, National University of Defense Technology
Guanghua Scholarship
Outstanding Student Award, National University of Defense Technology
Outstanding Graduate, Nanjing University of Science and Technology

I have published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers, including 24 papers as first author and/or corresponding author, in journals including Nature and Nature Communications.
(“*” denotes the corresponding author; “&” denotes supervised student; and “#” denotes equal contribution.)
[1] S. Zhang&, D. Xiao, F. Wang*, R. Huang, L. Yu, N. Zhou, K. He, X. Wu, F. Nori*, H. Jing*, Xin Zhou*. Cusp-singularity-enhanced Coriolis effect for sensitive chip-scale gyroscopes. Nature 653, 700-706.
Featured by “Physics Today”, the flagship publication of AIP: https://physicstoday.aip.org/news/chip-scale-gyroscopes-get-a-sensitivity-boost.
Featured as the lead story on the front page of “China Science Daily”.
Featured as the lead story on the homepage of ScienceNet.cn.
Featured on the homepage of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) News.
[2] Xin Zhou*,#, X. Ren&,#, D. Xiao, J. Zhang, R. Huang, Z. Li, X. Sun, X. Wu*, C.-W. Qiu, F. Nori*, H. Jing*. Higher-order singularities in phase-tracked electromechanical oscillators. Nature Communications 14, 7944 (2023).
[3] Xin Zhou, C. Zhao, D. Xiao*, J. Sun, G. Sobreviela, D. D Gerrard, Y. Chen, I. Flader, T. W. Kenny, X. Wu, A. A. Seshia*. Dynamic modulation of modal coupling in microelectromechanical gyroscopic ring resonators. Nature Communications 10, 4980 (2019).
[4] T. Miao&, Xin Zhou, X. Wu, Q. Li, Z. Hou, X. Hu, Z. Wang*, D. Xiao*. Nonlinearity-mediated digitization and amplification in electromechanical phonon-cavity systems. Nature Communications 13, 2352 (2022).
[5] S. Zhang&, Y. Huang&, L. Yu, K. He, N. Zhou, D. Xiao, X. Wu, F. Nori, H. Jing*, Xin Zhou*. Dynamically encircling an exceptional point through phase-tracked closed-loop control. Communications Physics 8, 344 (2025).
[6] S. Zhang&, Y. Huang&, L. Yu, N. Zhou, K. He, X. Zhou*. Non-Hermitian MEMS disk resonator based on thermoelastic damping regulation. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (Invited paper, early access, 2025).
[7] X. Sun&, Xin Zhou*, X. Ren&, L. Li&, T. Miao&, K. Lu, X. Wu, D. Xiao. Electrostatic nonlinear dispersive parametric mode interaction. Nonlinear Dynamics 111, 3081–3097 (2023).
[8] X. Sun&, X. Zhou*, L. Yu, K. He, D. Xiao*, X. Wu. Design of a multiple folded-beam disk resonator with high quality factor. Micromachines 13 (9), 1468 (2022).
[9] X. Ren&, X. Zhou*, S. Yu, X. Wu, D. Xiao*. Frequency-modulated MEMS gyroscopes: A review. IEEE Sensors Journal 21 (23), 26426-26446 (2021).
[10] X. Ren&, Xin Zhou*, Y. Tao, Q. Li, X. Wu, D. Xiao. Radially Pleated Disk Resonator for Gyroscopic Application. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems 30 (6), 825-835 (2021).
[11] Xin Zhou, D. Xiao*, Q. Li, Z. Hou, K. He, Z. Chen, Y. Wu, X. Wu. Decaying time constant enhanced MEMS disk resonator for high precision gyroscopic application. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 23 (1), 452-458, (2018).
[12] Xin Zhou, D. Xiao*, X. Wu, Q. Li, Z. Hou, K. He, Y. Wu. Mitigating thermoelastic dissipation of flexural micromechanical resonators by decoupling resonant frequency from thermal relaxation rate. Physical Review Applied 8, 064033 (2017).
[13] Xin Zhou, D. Xiao*, Z. Hou, Q. Li, Y. Wu, X. Wu. Influences of the structure parameters on sensitivity and Brownian noise of the disk resonator gyroscope. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems 26 (3), 519-527 (2017).
[14] Xin Zhou*, D. Xiao*, X. Wu, Y. Wu, Z. Hou, K. He, Q. Li. Stiffness-mass decoupled silicon disk resonator for high resolution gyroscopic application with long decay time constant (8.695 s). Applied Physics Letters 109, 263501 (2016).
[15] Xin Zhou, Y. Wu, D. Xiao*, D. Xiao, Q. Li, D. Yu, X. Wu. An investigation on the ring thickness distribution of disk resonator gyroscope with high mechanical sensitivity. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 117, 174-181 (2016).
[16] S. Zhang&, Xin Zhou*. Non-Hermitian dynamics in a frequency-matched, dissipation-imbalanced MEMS gyroscope. Accepted by the 39th International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (IEEE MEMS), (2026).
[17] S. Zhang&, L. Yu, K. He, N. Zhou, Xin Zhou*. Non-Hermitian MEMS disk resonator based on thermal-elastic-damping regulation and dynamical interaction. In Proceedings of the 38th International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (IEEE MEMS), 581-584 (2025).
[18] S. Zhang&, X. Ren&, Y. Ouyang&, X. Zhou*. Singularity-enhanced deep sub-linewidth mode matching of the disk resonator gyroscope. In Proceedings of the 2024 IEEE SENSORS Conference (2024).
[19] X. Sun&, Xin Zhou*, L. Yu, K. He, X. Wu, D. Xiao. A novel multiple-folded beam disk resonator for maximizing the thermoelastic quality factor. In Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (IEEE MEMS), 845-848 (2023).