A world leader in nanophotonics and material physics, Professor Zhang developed the first optical superlens — breaking the diffraction limit and transforming understanding of imaging technology. He also pioneered the field of plasmonic lithography with important implications for microelectronics and data storage. Notably, he invented the world’s first optical “invisibility cloak”, achieving a historic leap from imagination to reality. This earned him a place on TIME’s “Top 10 Scientific Discoveries” of 2008 alongside NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander and China’s first spacewalk.