About

Wenhui Chu is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at Texas A&M University. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Houston, obtained in 2021, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Boston University, earned in 2016. His research interests include machine learning, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on applications related to medical imaging and robotic manipulators. Chu has contributed to the development of deep learning approaches for automated segmentation of cardiac MRI images and simulations of MRI-guided therapeutic interventions. He has been recognized with awards such as the Student Recognition Award for Significant Contribution at the University of Houston, Victoria, in 2024, and the Graduate School Fellowship Award at the University of Houston from 2016 to 2021.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Optoelectronics
• Condensed matter physics
• Nanotechnology
• Nuclear physics
• Composite material
• Chemistry
• Optics

Selected publications

• Active Microfluidic Mixing Using Photoacoustic Laser Streaming from Gold-Implanted Optical Fibers and Glass Beads

  The Journal of Physical Chemistry C · 2025-04-01 · 1 citations

  article

  Efficient microfluidic mixing remains a significant challenge due to the difficulty of generating advection and turbulence, especially as many applications demand reduced sample and reagent consumption for improved efficiency and lower costs. In this work, we introduce a new active mixing method─photoacoustic laser streaming (PALS)─which uses laser pulses to produce fluid jets. PALS integrates photoacoustic effects with acoustic streaming, transforming metal-coated surfaces into fluidic pumps without moving mechanical parts. To demonstrate the concept, we fabricated a fiber-based PALS pump by implanting gold (Au) onto the facet of an optical fiber. The fiber tip was immersed in liquids to perform mixing in a microplate (50 μL volume), achieving complete mixing in 3 min compared to hours required for diffusion alone. Additionally, we utilized Au-coated glass microbeads as PALS stirrers. Upon light excitation, the beads not only generated jets from their surfaces but were also recoiled by the jets, creating enhanced turbulence and more efficient mixing. While this method was demonstrated in a microplate, we anticipate even greater effectiveness in microfluidic channels, where traditional mixing techniques face significant limitations.

  PublisherDOI

• Coated substrates and process

  OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · 2023-01-23

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Disclosed herein is a coated substrate and a process for forming films on substrates and for providing a particularly smooth film on a substrate. The method of this invention involves subjecting a surface of a substrate to contact with a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient force and energy to substantially change the surface characteristics of said substrate, and then exposing a film-forming material to a stream of ions of an inert gas having sufficient energy to vaporize the atoms of said film-forming material and to transmit the vaporized atoms to the substrate surface with sufficient force to form a film bonded to the substrate. This process is particularly useful commercially because it forms strong bonds at room temperature. This invention is particularly useful for adhering a gold film to diamond and forming ohmic electrodes on diamond, but also can be used to bond other films to substrates.

  Publisher

• High-field critical current density enhancement in GdBCO coated conductors by cooperative defects

  Superconductor Science and Technology · 2023 · 12 citations

  • Materials science
  • Condensed matter physics
  • Optoelectronics

  Abstract Irradiation can precisely control defects in, and improve the superconducting properties of, REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ (REBCO, RE: rare earth) coated conductors (CCs). Here we report an effective approach for enhancing the in-field performance of GdBCO CCs. The critical current density ( J c ) of GdBCO films was significantly improved through cooperative defects created by co-irradiation with O ions and protons, especially at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. Surprisingly, the in-field J c of commercial CCs can be nearly doubled. The cooperative irradiation-induced defects are uniformly distributed throughout the GdBCO layer, which promotes the overall performance of the CC. Moreover, the dimensions of these irradiation-induced defects closely match the coherence length of REBCO. This simple and efficient method is a practical post-production solution to improve the in-field performance of commercial REBCO CCs.

  PublisherDOI

• Microfluidic Pumps with Laser Streaming from Tips of Optical Fibers and Sewing Needles

  Advanced Optical Materials · 2022-10-09 · 9 citations

  article

  Abstract The discovery of photoacoustic laser streaming has opened up a new avenue to manipulate and drive fluids with light, but the necessity of an in situ “launch pad” has limited its utility in real‐world microfluidic applications due to both the size constraint and the complexity of fabrication. Here, it is demonstrated that 1) a versatile microfluidic pump can be materialized by using laser streaming from an optical fiber, and 2) laser streaming can be generated from a flat metal surface without any fabrication process. In the latter case, by focusing laser on the tip of a sewing needle tip, the needle can be turned into a micropump with controllable flow direction. Additionally, high‐speed imaging of the fluid motion and computational fluid dynamics simulations to confirm the photoacoustic principle of laser streaming are employed, and it is revealed that the streaming direction is determined by the direction of strongest intensity in the divergent ultrasound wavefront. Finally, the potential of laser streaming for microfluidic and optofluidic applications is demonstrated by successfully driving fluid inside a capillary tube.

  PublisherDOI

• Microfluidic Pumps with Laser Streaming from Tips of Optical Fibers and Sewing Needles

  Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics · 2022-01-01

  articleCorresponding

  We demonstrate a versatile microfluidic pump using laser streaming from optical fiber facet and sewing needle tip. The high-speed directional jet flow successfully drives fluid inside a capillary tube, paving the way for biomedical applications.

  PublisherDOI

• Ion beam nanoengineering of surfaces for molecular detection using surface enhanced Raman scattering

  Molecular Systems Design & Engineering · 2022 · 13 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Materials science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Optics

  Ion beam engineering of surfaces is a promising way to tailor the surface properties. It provides control over depth and concentration of nanoparticles for SERS applications.

  PublisherDOI

• A simulation study of mega electron-volt helium ion channeling and shadow effect in titania nanotubes

  Materials Advances · 2022-11-26 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Titania nanotubes enabling 2 MeV He ions to channel through the pores of diameter 100 nm and focusing the ions inside or outside the pores depending upon the nanotube length.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Enhancement in the critical current density of BaTiO ₃ -doped YBCO films by low-energy (60 keV) proton irradiation

  Superconductor Science and Technology · 2021 · 33 citations

  • Materials science
  • Condensed matter physics
  • Optoelectronics

  Abstract Although YBa 2 Cu 3 O 72212δ (YBCO) is one of the most promising superconducting materials for power applications, the fabrication of low-cost coated conductors with the high in-field performance remains challenging. Here, we report an efficient mixed-pinning landscape for enhancing the in-field performance of BaTiO 3 (BTO)-doped YBCO films by low-energy (60 keV) proton irradiation. The smaller (2–4 nm), weaker but perhaps denser pinning sites have been successfully introduced by irradiation, which can form a mixed-pinning landscape with pre-doped BTO precipitates (5–15 nm), leading to the increased vortex pinning. In this case, the critical current density ( J c ) of YBCO films increases significantly, especially at low temperature and high magnetic field, and it increases three times near 6 T at 20 K when the irradiation dose is 1 × 10 15 proton cm −2 . Additionally, the c -axis length ( c -parameter) of YBCO increases with the increase of irradiation dose, which indicates the decreasing oxygen content due to the excessive irradiation, thereby the reduction in critical transition temperature ( T c ). Employing low irradiation energy is beneficial for protons to stop inside YBCO film and thereby induces higher density defects when applying low doses. This fabrication technique is a practicable post-production solution to improve the in-field performance of nanoparticle-doped YBCO films.

  PublisherDOI

• Electrically tunable bandgaps for g-ZnO/ZnX (X = S, Se, Te) 2D semiconductor bilayers

  Vacuum · 2021-06-12 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Photoacoustic laser streaming with non-plasmonic metal ion implantation in transparent substrates

  Optics Express · 2021-06-08 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  Photoacoustic laser streaming provides a versatile technique to manipulate liquids and their suspended objects with light. However, only gold was used in the initial demonstrations. In this work, we first demonstrate that laser streaming can be achieved with common non-plasmonic metals such as Fe and W by their ion implantations in transparent substrates. We then investigate the effects of ion dose, substrate material and thickness on the strength and duration of streaming. Finally, we vary laser pulse width, repetition rate and power to understand the observed threshold power for laser streaming. It is found that substrate thickness has a negligible effect on laser streaming down to 0.1 mm, glass and quartz produce much stronger streaming than sapphire because of their smaller thermal conductivity, while quartz exhibits the longest durability than glass and sapphire under the same laser intensity. Compared with Au, Fe and W with higher melting points show a longer lifetime although they require a higher laser intensity to achieve a similar speed of streaming. To generate a continuous laser streaming, the laser must have a minimum pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz and meet the minimum pulse width and energy to generate a transient vapor layer. This vapor layer enhances the generation of ultrasound waves, which are required for observable fluid jets. Principles of laser streaming and temperature simulation are used to explain these observations, and our study paves the way for further materials engineering and device design for strong and durable laser streaming.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Experiments on Atomic-Scale Diffusion of Dopants in Strained and Relaxed Si and SiGe

  NSF · $398k · 2004–2008

Frequent coauthors

• Lin Shao

  38 shared

• Dharshana Wijesundera

  University of Houston

  22 shared

• Jiarui Liu

  22 shared

• Xuemei Wang

  Northwest Normal University

  18 shared

• Jiarui Liu

  Shaanxi Normal University

  13 shared

• Michael Martin

  13 shared

• Shuai Yue

  Xi'an University of Science and Technology

  13 shared

• Hye-Won Seo

  Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur, de l'Informatique et de l'Imagerie

  12 shared

Awards & honors

• Student Recognition Award for Significant Contribution, Univ…
• Graduate School Fellowship Award, University of Houston (201…