Zhongchen Cao 

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tianjin University

Dr. Cao Zhongchen is currently an Associate Professor at Tianjin University. He received his Master's degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology in 2012, and his Ph.D. from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2015. After that, he served as a Research Assistant and then a Postdoctoral Researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research primarily focuses on fundamental theories, innovative processes, and applications of ultra-precision machining technology and intelligent manufacturing equipment. He has published over 40 high-impact SCI-indexed papers as the first or corresponding author and has been granted 18 national invention patents. He holds several professional memberships, including: Senior Member of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society; Senior Member of the Chinese Optical Society; Member of the Extreme Manufacturing Branch, Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society; Member of the Youth Expert Committee of Advanced Optical Manufacturing; Member of the Precision and Nano Specialized Field Committee, Production Engineering Branch, Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society; and Council Member of Tianjin Optical Society. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Second Prize of the Military Science and Technology Progress Award, the First Prize of the China Machinery Industry Science and Technology Award (Invention Award), the First Prize of Tianjin Technology Invention Award, and the Excellent Award of the Shangyin Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award.

Abstract: Compared with traditional optical materials, advanced ceramics have superior material and optical properties, and are regard as the most promising substrate for precision and ultra-precision optoelectronic components in advanced optoelectronic systems. Unfortunately, these ceramics generally are significantly hard and brittle, making it difficult to process them with desired precision and efficiency, which seriously affects the time and financial cost of the development of related components. In this regard, focusing on the processing requirements of precision hard and brittle ceramics components, this study proposed the Graphene-oxide-enhanced Photocatalysis-assisted Polishing (GPP). A series of diversified experiments and characterizations were conducted to verify its machining advantages, universal applicability, and to reveal its material removal mechanism.

Jianlei Cui

School of Mechanical Engineering
Xi'an Jiaotong University

Prof. Jianlei CUI received his Ph.D degree from Harbin Institute of Technology, China. Then, he joined the school of mechanical engineering of Xi’an Jiaotong University. He visited the City University of Hong Kong as a Hong Kong Scholar and Tohoku University in Japan as a JSPS Fellow. Now he is a full-time national distinguished young professor in Xi’an Jiaotong University. And he serves as the vice dean of the school of mechanical engineering of Xi’an Jiaotong University. He is also a Lifetime fellow of IAAM, a member of IEEE and ASME, and the editorial board members of IJEM, etc. He has been a Principal Investigator for over 10 national research projects granted by the Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key R&D Program, the Science Center for Gas Turbine Project, etc. He published over 150 peer-reviewed papers in Adv. Mater., Mater. Today, ACS Nano, IJMTM, IJEM, Engineering, etc. His research directions include laser micro-nano machining, laser micro-nano joining & self-assembly, CNT-based functional devices, surface and interface behavior, In situ SEM fabrication, scanning probe microscope technology, laser processing technology, optical and electromechanical integrated equipment.

Abstract: As the silicon-based chip industry approaches its physical limits, carbon-based semiconductors are considered one of the disruptive technologies of the "post Moore era". Carbon nanotubes, with their excellent electrical properties, are expected to become interconnect materials for the next generation of large-scale integrated circuits. Due to challenges such as excessive channel size, irregular arrangement of carbon nanotubes, and high interface resistance between carbon nanotubes, there has been no qualitative breakthrough in the performance of carbon nanotube integrated circuits. The report will introduce the progress of laser micro nano manufacturing methods and mechanisms from the perspectives of nanochannel processing, regular self-assembly of carbon nanotubes, and controllable connection of carbon nanotubes.

Yang He

Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT-Dublin)
School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering 
University College Dublin, Ireland

Dr. Yang He is a postdoctoral research fellow (since 2024) at the Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT-Dublin), University College Dublin. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2021. Prior to joining UCD, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on contact mechanics, deformation mechanisms, AFM-based measurement and lithography, and Atomic and Close-to-atomic Scale Manufacturing (ACSM).

Yanlei Hu

Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation
University of Science and Technology of China

Professor, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from USTC. He has conducted scientific research at USTC, Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in Germany, Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. His main research focuses on laser micro/nano fabrication and the development of related equipment. He has presided over more than 20 research projects including the National Key R&D Program and Major Programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has published over 150 papers in top-tier journals such as Nature Photonics, PNAS and Nature Communications, with citations exceeding 10,000 times. He has been awarded the First Prize of Anhui Provincial Natural Science Award (2020), the Science and Technology Award of China Society for Imaging Science and Technology (2023), and one of the Top Ten Advances in Chinese Optics (2018).

Abstract: Femtosecond laser processing technology is a high-energy beam manufacturing method based on the interaction between optical pulses and materials. Benefiting from its ultrashort pulse duration and ultrahigh instantaneous power density, femtosecond lasers enable material modification and ablation at the nanoscale and even near-atomic scale, and have been widely applied in micro-nano additive manufacturing, surface treatment and internal material modification. This talk discusses the interaction mechanisms between femtosecond lasers and materials, as well as their application potential in atomic-scale manufacturing. In view of the bottlenecks restricting femtosecond laser atomic-level fabrication, such as limited processing efficiency and insufficient focusing control, it introduces novel high-efficiency processing strategies based on digital holographic optical field modulation and aberration compensation technologies, and further prospects the practical applications of femtosecond laser atomic-scale manufacturing.

Min Lai

Laboratory of Micro/Nano Manufacturing (MNMT)
School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments
Tianjin University

Dr. Min Lai is an Associate Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, and a member of the Laboratory of Micro/Nano Manufacturing (MNMT). Her research primarily focuses on the fundamentals and key technologies of micro/nano manufacturing, as well as atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing (ACSM). She has served as Principal Investigator (PI) for five national projects, including those funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Key Research and Development Program of China, among others. She has also completed multiple collaborative projects with industrial partners and research institutions. In recent years, she has published over 40 peer-reviewed academic journal articles. She currently serves as Associate Editor for Precision Engineering – Journal of the International Societies for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (PE) and as a Youth Editorial Board Member for Nanomanufacturing and Metrology (NM&M). She was selected as a Young Key Faculty Members of Tianjin University (Tianjin University Beiyang Scholar)

Abstract: As the core component of solid-state lasers, laser crystals must exhibit ultra-high precision, virtually defect-free surfaces, and minimal subsurface damage—properties that are essential for enabling high-power laser applications. Consequently, investigating the atomic and close-to-atomic scale surface integrity machining of laser crystals is of great significance. Atomic-scale simulation methods, particularly molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, represent a crucial approach for exploring material removal mechanisms at the atomic and close-to-atomic scale. This report takes the ultra-precision machining of lutetium oxide (Lu₂O₃), an emerging laser crystal, as a case study to systematically elucidate its atomic and close-to-atomic scale processing mechanisms based on MD simulations. The discussion encompasses potential function construction, modeling strategies for various machining processes, and analysis of simulation results, with an emphasis on mechanistic insights into material removal, damage formation, abrasive interaction coupling, and chemical reactions during atomic-scale cutting, grinding, mechanical polishing, and chemical mechanical polishing of Lu₂O₃ crystals.

Peng Lyu 

Laboratory of Atomic-Scale and Micro/Nano Manufacturing
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering

Dr. Peng Lyu is an Associate Researcher at the Laboratory of Atomic-Scale and Micro/Nano Manufacturing, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received his Ph.D. from Tianjin University in 2023. His research focuses on ultraprecision manufacturing and plasma-assisted atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing (ACSM), with an emphasis on developing novel plasma-based process concepts for damage-free, atomic-scale material removal. He has been awarded the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientists Fund, Category C) and the National Postdoctoral Innovative Talents Support Program (Class B). His recent work on  plasma-assisted cutting processing enables decoupled thermal–chemical effects, allowing simultaneous control of surface roughness and figure accuracy, and establishing new paradigms for integrated ACSM of advanced materials.

Abstract: Ultra-precision diamond cutting of soft metals and alloys is often limited by material-state effects, not tool geometry. In soft polycrystalline metals, grain-boundary steps cause surface roughness; in alloys, impurities and second-phase particles introduce scratches and defects. This paper presents a plasma-assisted cutting strategy targeting (i) grain-size control and (ii) near-surface purification. For soft metals, localized plasma thermal cycling promotes grain coarsening and boundary-state evolution, suppressing grain-boundary-step-dominated roughness. For alloys, plasma-enabled surface zone melting redistributes impurities via solute partitioning during solidification, followed by a shallow cut to remove the enriched layer and expose a refined subsurface. Mechanism validation links plasma-induced thermal field simulations with microstructure evidence. Case studies on polycrystalline copper and 6061 aluminum alloy show that plasma regulation effectively reduces roughness and defect density, offering a practical route to overcome grain- and impurity-imposed limits in ultra-precision cutting.

Jining Sun

School of Mechanical Engineering
Dalian University of Technology

Prof. Sun received his B.S. and M.S. in Physics from Peking University and his Ph.D. from Heriot-Watt University in the UK. Currently, he is a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology. He holds a National-level fellowship in Science and Technology in China and the distinction of being a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in the UK. Throughout his career, he has provided technical consultancy for world-renowned companies such as Renishaw, STMicroelectronics, Contour Fine Tooling, ltd., and Wontai Power etc. His research has made fundamental contributions to the design and fabrication of functional surfaces and interfaces, micro/nano-manufacturing technologies and atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing (ACSM). To date, he has authored over 80 papers in high-impact SCI journals and served as editorial board members of multiple international journals. Recently, he is focusing on advancing precision manufacturing processes and nanomaterials for functional surfaces.

Abstract: Functional surfaces offer extraordinary capabilities in regulating wettability and adhesion, yet bridging laboratory design with industrial scalability remains a critical challenge. As we advance into the era of Atomic and Close-to-Atomic Scale Manufacturing (ACSM), the manufacturing paradigm is shifting toward deterministically manipulating matter at the molecular level to enhance macroscopic performance. This report presents a comprehensive framework synergizing scalable micro-nanomanufacturing with precise molecular regulation. We elucidate a "Design-Manufacturing-Performance" nexus that integrates top-down techniques, such as template-based manufacturing, with bottom-up ACSM strategies aimed at controlling intermolecular interactions and atomic stacking sequences. Specifically, we discuss how regulating chemical bonding states and atomic-scale assembly allows for the construction of complex hierarchical structures with high fidelity and functional longevity. By coupling micro-scale structural design with atomic-scale surface energy control, we address the trade-off between mechanical durability and functional sensitivity. Key applications include mechanically durable superhydrophobic coatings for anti-icing and drag reduction, as well as conductive micro-architectures for high-sensitivity flexible sensors. We aim to demonstrate that integrating ACSM principles—specifically atomic-scale inputs via molecular regulation—into scalable micro-nanomanufacturing processes unlocks new potentials in energy and smart devices, offering a future perspective on achieving robust, multifunctional surface integration in the ACSM era.

Chunjin Wang 

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

Professor Chunjin Wang is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His main research areas include ultra-precision polishing technology, ultra-precision machining technologies and instrumentation, advanced optical manufacturing, and functional surface engineering. He has led more than 10 research projects, including those funded by the General Research Fund (GRF) and the Early Career Scheme (ECS) of the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, as well as the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) of Hong Kong. He has published over 150 SCI-indexed journal papers and was listed among Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists in 2025.

Abstract: To meet the sub-nanometer precision polishing requirements of optical components, particularly those with complex surfaces, this talk presents a novel Air-Jet Driven Chemical Mechanical Polishing (AJCMP) technology. This approach transforms the purely mechanical material removal mechanism of conventional jet-based processing into an elastic removal mechanism based on synergistic chemical–mechanical interactions. Experimental results demonstrate that AJCMP exhibits outstanding processing performance: ultra-smooth surfaces with surface roughness Sa below 0.2 nm can be achieved on single-crystal silicon and optical glass, with no subsurface damage observed at the nanoscale. By integrating developed multi-jet and line-jet method, AJCMP significantly enhances processing efficiency while maintaining an extremely high form accuracy of 0.1 μm. This technology provides a highly promising solution for damage-free, atomic-scale manufacturing of advanced optical and semiconductor materials.

Jixiang Yang

School of Mechanical Science and Engineering
Huazhong University of Science and Technology 

Jixiang Yang is a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. He has been awarded the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Young Scientists Fund, the NSFC Key Joint Fund Project, the National Key R&D Program for Young Scientists. In 2024 and 2025, he was consecutively named to the Elsevier "Highly Cited Chinese Researchers" list. His research focuses on profile accuracy and surface quality control in robotic measurement, milling, and polishing processes for complex curved surface parts. He holds over 60 authorized invention patents, and has published 66 SCI papers as the first or corresponding author, including 51 papers in Q1 journals.

Abstract: Traditional regular polishing paths (e.g., raster and spiral) are prone to generating mid-spatial-frequency errors on surfaces of optical parts, adversely affecting imaging quality of optical systems. Although pseudo-random paths can effectively suppress mid-spatial-frequency errors, the geometric smoothing process at numerous corners leads to deviations between actual and theoretical polishing positions, and therefore reduces surface form accuracy, which severely limits their applications in deterministic polishing. This study constructs specially designed splines to smooth the path with the consideration of the material removal model, ensuring the deviation at each corner within the surface form error tolerance, thereby achieving both path smoothness and preserved form accuracy. Subsequently, to address the issue of feedrate deviation at corners caused by constraints on the robot's dynamic response limitations (e.g., acceleration and jerk), this research innovatively proposes a contact force compensation method to dynamically eliminate the material removal deviation induced by feedrate changes. Robotic polishing experiments on nickel-plated metal mirrors demonstrate that the proposed corner smoothing and force-velocity planning method proposed in this report successfully unifies high surface form accuracy with excellent mid-spatial-frequency error suppression capability, offering an effective technical pathway for the ultra-precision machining of high-performance optical components.

Wai Sze Yip, Lenny

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

Prof. Yip Wai Sze is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She received Ph.D. degree in ultra-precision machining from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2018. She obtained Double degrees of BBA in Marketing and BEng in Industrial and Systems Engineering from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2014, and BEng degree in Electronic and Communication Engineering from City University of Hong Kong in 2006.  Before joining ISE of PolyU, Prof. Yip worked as a Research Fellow in National University of Singapore. Her research works focus on ultra-precision machining of difficult to cut materials, sustainable precision machining. Prof.  Yip has published in top tier SCI journals such as Energy, Journal of Cleaner Production and Journal of Alloy and Compounds. In 2018, one of the papers in Scientific Reports was awarded for top 100 paper in materials science. In 2019, she received the Excellent Thesis Award, 9th Hiwin Doctoral Dissertation by Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society.

Abstract: Magnetic Field Assisted Ultra-Precision Machining (UPM) is a promising approach for improving surface quality and dimensional accuracy in difficult-to-cut materials. This talk will introduce the basic principles of magnetic field assisted UPM, with emphasis on how external magnetic fields enhance machining performance through vibration suppression, reduced material swelling, eddy current damping effects, and improved thermal behavior. In addition, it will present the fabrication of microstructures and nanotextures using layer-by-layer strategies, which enable precise control of microstructure on the surface for functional uses especially the superhydrophobicity. Magnetic field assisted diamond machining demonstrates strong potential for high-precision functional surface fabrication and advanced manufacturing applications.

Honggang Zhang 

College of Mechanical & Energy Engineering
Beijing University of Technology

Dr. Honggang Zhang received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from North University of China in 2017. After that, he studied at University College Dublin, Ireland for 4 years and received the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2021. Dr. Honggang Zhang is currently a professor at Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China. His research interest is focusing on micro/nano- and atomic-scale manufacturing based on electrochemical and semiconductor approaches including electroforming replication, electrochemical additive manufacturing, nanoimprinting and atomic layer etching. 

Abstract: Atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing (ACSM), the core enabling technology of Manufacturing Paradigm III, is revolutionizing traditional manufacturing by advancing precision and scale to the atomic level, endowing materials and products with superior performance. Motivated by ACSM-based fabrication of EUV/X-ray optical collecting mirrors, this study proposes atomic and close-to-atomic scale electroforming replication (ACS-EFR) technology, which can achieve large-area replication of atomic smooth surfaces by the principle of electrochemical atomic deposition and features low cost, mass-producibility, and irreplaceability. First, the connotation of ACS-EFR is elaborated, clarifying its core definition and principle. Key scientific issues and solutions are investigated via molecular dynamics (MD) and experiments. MD simulations explore atomic deposition mechanisms and regulation under electric double layer control at the electrode-electrolyte interface during electroforming process. Atomic nucleation, diffusion, and growth under electrolyte formulation and nanoscale pulsed current control are investigated, analyzing surface roughness, atomic defects, atomic structure, and dislocations to reveal forming mechanisms and regulation methods for atomic-level surface replication. Experiments characterize surface roughness, morphology, crystal structure, and defects of electroformed replicas. MD simulations reveal the microscopic atomic nucleation, diffusion, and growth mechanisms, while experimental characterizations verify these mechanisms and feed back to refine simulation models. This complementary combination addresses the core scientific issue of precisely regulating atomic-level electroforming to realize controllable replication of atomically smooth surfaces. Finally, this study demonstrates the great potential of ACS-EFR in atomic-level optical manufacturing Future work will deepen on electrochemical quantum theory, combining first-principles calculations with in-situ electrochemical electron microscopy experiments to investigate the quantized growth pathways of atomic electrochemical deposition, propose practicable regulation methods, and attempt to achieve ACS-EFR of large-area surfaces with zero atomic defects.

Wenhao Zhang 

Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology 
University College Dublin

Dr. Wenhao Zhang is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre of Micro/Nano Manufacturing Technology (MNMT-Dublin), University College Dublin. His current research focuses on conductive atomic force microscopy for the characterization of atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing. He received his doctoral degree from Zhejiang University in 2023, where he developed advanced surfaces metrology systems for freeform optics with nanometer-scale precision and received over 15 patents. After his doctoral work, he has extended his research toward fundamental studies of interfacial transport at the atomic scale using AFM-based techniques. His research interests include atomic-scale characterization of interfacial electrical transport, ultra-precision freeform metrology, and precision optoelectronic sensing. 

Abstract: Contact resistance is a critical electrical parameter for electronics. Conventionally, metal-metal contacts are assumed to exhibit Ohmic behavior due to their high conductivity. However, when the contact size is reduced to a regime involving only tens or hundreds of atoms, the current response to a ramped bias often exhibits strong nonlinear characteristics. The physical origin of this nonlinear interfacial transport remains poorly understood. In this study, conductive atomic force microscopy is employed to investigate transport behavior at atomically confined metal-metal junctions under controlled conditions. Experimental investigations show that interfacial transport is modulated not only by environmental factors, but also by variations in interfacial contact configurations. Resistive switching-like behaviors are also observed, which strongly correlate to the evolution of contact configurations within the confined junction area. These findings provide new insights into the breakdown of Ohmic transport at the small scale and establish a framework for understanding interfacial transport in atomic-scale and nanoscale electronic systems.

Chenyang Zhao 

School of Robotics and Advanced Manufacture
Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China

Chenyang Zhao is a Professor at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen. He is a recipient of the National High-Level Talent Special Support Program. He has led more than ten research projects, including those funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has published more than 50 SCI-indexed papers in leading journals in measurement and instrumentation, including IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, Measurement, and ISA Transactions. He also serves on the editorial boards of five journals, including International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, and holds multiple academic service roles in professional societies and international conferences. His honors include First Place in the National Finals of the China Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition in the High-end Equipment Manufacturing Sector, the Special Gold Award at the Invention Exhibition of the World Photonics Conference, the Young Researcher Award presented by HEIDENHAIN GmbH at euspen’s 16th International Conference, and the Shenzhen “40 People for 40 Years of Machinery Industry” honor. Instrumentation commercialized from his research was featured on CCTV Xinwen Lianbo.

Abstract: Precision positioning measurement is one of the core enabling technologies for high-end equipment manufacturing. Mainstream approaches include time-of-flight sensing, autocollimation, laser interferometry, photoelectric encoding, and optical imaging-based positioning. Products derived from these principles, such as laser interferometers and linear encoders, are widely used in CNC machine tools and semiconductor metrology, including dual-stage lithography systems and trajectory error compensation of machine tools. Driven by advanced manufacturing, precision positioning measurement is evolving toward higher accuracy, higher speed, higher integration, and multi-degree-of-freedom sensing. In this talk, we present a new nanometer-level planar positioning measurement method and introduce three instruments developed in a “point–plane–space” framework: a laser tool setter, a planar positioning accuracy analyzer, and a five-axis motion analyzer. These instruments have been applied to the inspection and calibration of CNC machine tools, as well as measurement and inspection tasks in semiconductor wafer manufacturing.