PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Chao Zuo

Chao Zuo is an optical engineering researcher whose work applies deep learning to computational imaging and optical metrology. He earned a bachelor's degree in electronic science and technology at Zijin College, Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST), in 2009, and joined Nanyang Technological University's Centre for Optical and Laser Engineering as a research assistant in 2012. After completing an NJUST Ph.D. in 2014 and becoming a professor in 2016, he coauthored research on neural-network fringe analysis and deep learning for optical metrology. He received Jiangsu's First Prize of Science and Technology in 2020 and became an Optica Fellow in 2023; as of October 2026, he is a Zijin Chair Professor at NJUST and leads the Smart Computational Imaging Laboratory.

Now at
School of Electronic and Optical Engineering
Works
715
Citations
19,447
h-index
70

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2009

    A degree at Zijin College

    He earns a B.S. in electronic science and technology at Zijin College, Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST), in 2009.

  2. 2012

    Research assistant at NTU

    In 2012, he begins work as a research assistant at Nanyang Technological University's Centre for Optical and Laser Engineering (COLE).

  3. 2014–2016

    A Ph.D. and faculty promotion

    He earns a Ph.D. in optical engineering from NJUST in 2014. NJUST promotes him to associate professor in 2014 and professor in 2016.

  4. 2018

    Deep learning for fringe analysis

    In 2018, he coauthors a study in which deep neural networks improve phase-demodulation accuracy from a single fringe pattern.

  5. 2020

    Jiangsu Science and Technology Award

    In 2020, he receives Jiangsu's First Prize of Science and Technology.

  6. 2022

    Deep learning in optical metrology

    In 2022, he coauthors a review of deep learning in optical metrology that covers fringe denoising, phase retrieval, phase unwrapping, subset correlation and error compensation.

  7. 2023

    An Optica Fellowship

    Optica elects him to its 2023 Fellow class for contributions to computational phase imaging and metrology, including noninterferometric quantitative phase imaging and high-speed 3D optical metrology.

  8. As of October 2026

    Zijin Chair Professor at NJUST

    As of October 2026, he is a Zijin Chair Professor at NJUST and leads the Smart Computational Imaging Laboratory at its School of Electronic and Optical Engineering.

Career

  1. Since 2014Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyAssociate Professor
  2. NowSchool of Electronic and Optical EngineeringLaboratory Lead
  3. 2022–2025Wuhan Ship Development & Design Institute
  4. 2012–2014Nanyang Technological UniversityResearch Assistant

Education

  1. 2014Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyPhD
  2. 2009Nanjing University of Science and TechnologyBachelor's degree

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Nanjing University of Science and Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Nanjing University of Science and Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Nanjing University of Science and Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Nanyang Technological University. We estimate that Google holds the highest combined h-index at 8,016, while universities account for 73% of the deduplicated total across AI organizations.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Chao Zuo yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. 电子工程与光电技术学院 teacher.njust.edu.cn. Checked 22 October 2026.
  2. SPS Webinar: Lens-Free On-Chip Digital Holographic Microscopy: Resolution Analysis and System Design signalprocessingsociety.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  3. [1807.02757] Fringe pattern analysis using deep learning arxiv.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  4. Deep learning in optical metrology: a review | Light: Science & Applications nature.com. Checked 22 October 2026.
  5. 2023 Fellows | Optica optica.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  6. IEEE NEMS 2026 ieee-nems2026.org. Checked 22 October 2026.