Biography

Dr. Suxing Hu is a Distinguished Scientist and Group Leader of the High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP) Theory Group at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), University of Rochester. He is also jointly appointed as Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Research) and Profess of Physics (Research) at University of Rochester. Research in his group has focused on the fundamental understanding of physics properties of matter under extreme conditions encountered in inertial-confinement fusion (ICF), planetary science, and astrophysics. Dr. Hu earned his PhD in physics from Chinese Academy of Sciences, at Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics. After graduation, he took the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and continued his theoretical AMO physics researches at University of Freiburg and Max-Born-Institute in Berlin, Germany. He moved to the US in 2001 as a postdoc research associate at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and later became a Director’s Postdoc Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He joined in Laboratory for Laser Energetics as a Scientist in 2006; was promoted to a Senior Scientist in 2013 and a Distinguished Scientist in 2019. He also held secondary appointments with Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy at University of Rochester. As a theoretician, he is interested in understanding how matters behave at extreme conditions such as under ultra-high pressures and in super-strong/ultrafast laser fields. Dr. Hu was awarded the Hundred Outstanding Doctorate Thesis Prize from China’s Department of Education, the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, and Director’s Postdoc Fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He has published over 250 research articles, with over ~10000 citations and H-index = 53 by Google-Scholar so far. For his significant contribution to strong-field and attosecond physics, he was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2013.

Research Overview

My current research focuses on the following four physics areas:

Theoretical/Computational High-Energy-Density Physics (HEDP): We are interested in the fundamental understanding of how matter behaves under extreme conditions (ρ=10^-1 ~ 10⁷g/cm³ & T=10³~10¹⁰ K) widely existing in both laboratories and the universe. We perform first-principles investigations on the equation-of-state (EOS), transport properties, opacity, and stopping-power of materials at such extreme conditions through state-of-the-art methods, e.g., density-functional theory (DFT) based quantum molecular dynamics (QMD), orbital-free molecular dynamics (OFMD), path integral Monte-Carlo (PIMC), and quantum Monte-Carlo (QMC) simulations. We are also exploring how Machine Learning and AI could help us understand HED physics better.

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF): Implementing/Using accurate first-principles-based EOS, transport, opacity, and stopping-power models in radiation-hydrodynamics codes for reliable ICF simulations; designing/analyzing implosion experiments to understand and control Rayleigh–Taylor instability growth and thermal-nuclear burns in ICF targets through multidimensional radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. We are also interested in alternative ICF target designs with the ultimate goal of realizing fusion ignition in laboratories.

Computational physics: Developing time-dependent, real-space density functional theory (TD-DFT) codes for ab-initio studies of high-energy-density physics and chemistry; Exploring new rezoning/regriding strategies in Lagrangian hydrodynamics; Developing advanced finite-element algorithms for quantum simulations of many-body systems.

Ultrafast Dynamics and Attosecond Physics: Understanding the ultrafast (from attosecond to femtosecond time-scales) ionization and radiation in intense/ultrafast laser interactions with atoms, molecules, clusters, solids and plasmas.

Research Interests

• Theoretical/Computational High-Energy-Density Physics
• Inertial Confinement Fusion
• Warm-/Hot-Dense Matter
• Intense Laser-Matter Interactions
• Ultrafast Dynamics
• Attosecond Physics
• Computational Atomic
• Molecular
• Optical Physics

Selected Publications

• R. M. N. Goshadze, V. V. Karasiev, D. I. Mihaylov, and S. X. Hu, “Shock-Induced Metallization of Polystyrene Along the Principal Hugoniot Investigated by Advanced Thermal Density Functionals”, Phys. Rev. B 107, 155116 (2023).
• Maitrayee Ghosh, Shuai Zhang, Lianming Hu and S. X. Hu, “Cooperative diffusion in body-centered cubic iron in Earth and super-Earths' inner core conditions”, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 35, 154002 (2023).
• S. X. Hu, David T Bishel, David A Chin, Philip M Nilson, Valentin V Karasiev, Igor E Golovkin, Ming Gu, Stephanie B Hansen, Deyan I Mihaylov, Nathaniel R Shaffer, Shuai Zhang, Timothy Walton, “Probing atomic physics at ultrahigh pressure using laser-driven implosions”, Nature Communications 13, 6780 (2022).
• V. V. Karasiev, D. I. Mihaylov, S. X. Hu, “Meta-GGA exchange-correlation free energy density functional to increase the accuracy of warm dense matter simulations”, Phys. Rev. B 105, L081109 (2022).
• S. Zhang, D. E. Fratanduono, M. C. Marshall, J. R. Rygg, Amy E. Lazicki, A. Shvydky, D. Haberberger, V. N. Goncharov, T. R. Boehly, G. W. Collins, and S. X. Hu, “Species separation in polystyrene shock release evidenced by molecular-dynamics simulations and laser-drive experiments”, Phys. Rev. Res. 4, 013126 (2022).
• S. Zhang, Valentin V. Karasiev, Nathaniel Shaffer, Deyan I. Mihaylov, Katarina Nichols, Reetam Paul, R.M.N. Goshadze, Maitrayee Ghosh, Joshua Hinz, Reuben Epstein, Stefan Goedecker, and S. X. Hu. “First-principles equation of state of CHON resin for inertial confinement fusion applications”. Phys. Rev. E 106, 045207 (2022).
• V. V. Karasiev, J. Hinz, S. X. Hu, S. B. Trickey, “On the liquid–liquid phase transition of dense hydrogen”, Nature 600, E12 (2021).
• V. V. Karasiev and S. X. Hu, “Unraveling the intrinsic atomic physics behind x-ray absorption line shifts in warm dense silicon plasmas”, Phys. Rev. E 103, 033202 (2021).
• D. I. Mihaylov, V. V. Karasiev, S. X. Hu, J. R. Rygg, V. N. Goncharov, G. W. Collins, “Improved first-principles equation-of-state table of deuterium for high-energy-density applications”, Phys. Rev. B 104, 144104 (2021).
• S. X. Hu, V. V. Karasiev, V. Recoules, P. M. Nilson, N. Brouwer, and M. Torrent, “Interspecies Radiative Transition in Warm and Superdense Plasma Mixtures,” Nature Communications11, 1989 (2020).
• S. Zhang and S.  X. Hu, “Species Separation and Hydrogen Streaming upon Shock Release from Polystyrene Under Inertial Confinement Fusion Conditions,” Phys. Rev. Lett.125, 105001 (2020).
• S. X. Hu, V. N. Goncharov, P. B. Radha, S. P. Regan, E. M. Campbell, “Microphysics studies for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion”, Nuclear Fusion 59, 032011 (2019).
• R. Paul, S. X. Hu, V. V. Karasiev, “Anharmonic and Anomalous Trends in the High-Pressure Phase Diagram of Silicon”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 125701 (2019).
• Y. H. Ding, A. J. White, S. X. Hu, O. Certik, L. A. Collins, “Ab initio studies on the stopping power of warm dense matter with time-dependent orbital-free density functional theory”, Phys.Rev. Lett. 121, 145001 (2018).
• S. X. Hu, L. A. Collins, T. R. Boehly, Y. H. Ding, P. B. Radha, V. N. Goncharov, V. V. Karasiev, G. W. Collins, S. P. Regan, E. M. Campbell, “A review on ab initio studies of static, transport, and optical properties of polystyrene under extreme conditions for inertial confinement fusion applications”, Phys. Plasmas 25, 056306 (2018) [Invited].
• S. X. Hu, “Continuum Lowering and Fermi-Surface Rising in Strongly-Coupled and Degenerate Plasmas”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 065001 (2017).
• S. X. Hu, L. A. Collins, J. P. Colgan, V. N. Goncharov, D. P. Kilcrease, “Optical properties of highly compressed polystyrene: An ab initio study”, Phys. Rev. B 96, 144203 (2017).
• S. X. Hu, R. Gao, Y. Ding, L. A. Collins, J. D. Kress, “First-principles equation-of-state (FPEOS) tables of silicon and its effects on high-energy-density plasma simulations”,Phys. Rev. E 95, 043210 (2017).
• S. X. Hu, B. Militzer, L. A. Collins, K. P. Driver, J. D. Kress, “First-principles prediction of the softening of Silicon along its Shock Hugoniot”, Phys. Rev. B 94, 094109 (2016).
• S. X. Hu, V. N. Goncharov, T. R. Boehly, R. L. McCrory, S. Skupsky, L. A. Collins, J. D. Kress, and B. Militzer, “Impact of first-principles properties of warm-dense deuterium- tritium oninertial confinement fusion target designs”, Phys. Plasmas 22, 056304 (2015) (invited).
• S. X. Hu, L. A. Collins, T. R. Boehly, J. D. Kress, V. N. Goncharov, and S. Skupsky, “First- principles thermal conductivity of warm-dense deuterium plasmas for inertial confinement fusion applications”, Phys. Rev. E 89, 043105 (2014).
• S. X. Hu, “Boosting photo-absorption by attosecond control of electron correlation”, Phys. Rev.Lett. 111, 123003 (2013).
• S. X. Hu, G. Fiksel, V. N. Goncharov, S. Skupsky, D. D. Meyerhofer, V.A. smalyuk, “Mitigatinglaser imprint in direct-drive ICF implosions with high-Z dopants”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 195003 (2012).
• S. X. Hu, B. Militzer, V. N. Goncharov, S. Skupsky, “First-principles equation-of-state table ofdeuterium for inertial confinement fusion applications”, Phys. Rev. B 84, 224109 (2011).
• S. X. Hu, B. Militzer, V. N. Goncharov, S. Skupsky, “Strong coupling and degeneracy effectsin inertial-confinement-fusion implosions”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 235003 (2010).
• S. X. Hu, L. A. Collins, B. I. Schneider,“Attosecond photoelectron microscopy of H₂⁺”, Phys. Rev. A 80, 023426 (2009) [Viewpointed in Physics 2, 72 (2009)].
• S. X. Hu, V. A. Smalyuk, V. N. Goncharov, S. Skupsky, T. C. Sangster, D. D. Meyerhofer, D.Shvarts,“Validation of thermal-transport modeling with direct-drive planar-foil acceleration experiments on OMEGA”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 055002 (2008).
• S. X. Hu, V. A. Smalyuk, V. N. Goncharov, J. P. Knauer, P. B. Radha, I. V. Igumenshchev, J. A.Marozas, C. Stoeckl, B. Yaakobi, D. Shvarts, T. C. Sangster, P. W. McKenty, D. D. Meyerhofer, S. Skupsky, and R. L. McCrory, “Studies of plastic-ablator compressibility for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion on OMEGA”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 185003 (2008).
• S. X. Hu, “Three-body recombination of atomic ions with slow electrons”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 133201 (2007).
• S. X. Hu, L. A. Collins, "Attosecond pump-probe: exploring ultrafast electron motion inside an atom”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 073004 (2006).
• S. X. Hu, D. Vrinceanu, S. Mazevet, L. A. Collins, "Molecular dynamics simulations of cold antihydrogen formation in strongly magnetized plasmas", Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 163402 (2005).
• S. X. Hu, L. A. Collins, "Imaging molecular structures by electron diffraction using an intensefew-cycle pulse", Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 073004 (2005).
• S. X. Hu, A. F. Starace, "GeV electrons from ultra-intense laser interactions with highly charged ions", Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 245003 (2002).
• S. X. Hu and C. H. Keitel, "Spin signatures in intense laser-ion interaction", Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 4709 (1999).
• S. X. Hu, Z. Z. Xu, "Dynamics of an intense laser-driven multi-well system: A model of ionizedclusters", Phys. Rev. A 56, 3916 (1997).
• S. X. Hu, Z. Z. Xu, "Enhanced harmonic emission from ionized clusters in intense laser pulses", Appl. Phys.Lett. 71, 2605 (1997).

Full publication list can be found on Google-Scholar.