汽-液-固相变过程与传热强化机理（冷凝、蒸发、沸腾、结冰等）；新型热管与蒸发-冷凝耦合系统。
代表性研究成果：
1. Xiao Yan#*, Samuel Au#, Sui Cheong Chan, Ying Lung Chan, Ngai Chun Leung, Wa Yat Wu, Dixon Sin, Guanlei Zhao, Casper Ho Yin Chung, Mei Mei, Yinchuang Yang, Huihe Qiu, Shuhuai Yao* (2024) Unraveling the Role of Vaporization Momentum in Self-Jumping Dynamics of Freezing Supercooled Droplets at Reduced Pressures. Nature Communications. Accepted. (自然指数期刊，影响因子: 17.7)
2. Xiao Yan#*, Feipeng Chen#, Chongyan Zhao, Xiong Wang, Longnan Li, Siavash Khodakarami, Kazi Fazle Rabbi, Jiaqi Li, Muhammad Jahidul Hoque, Feng Chen, Jie Feng, Nenad Miljkovic* (2022) Micro-Scale Confinement and Wetting Contrast Enable Enhanced and Tunable Condensation. ACS Nano, 16(6), 9510–9522. (自然指数期刊，影响因子: 17.1)3. Xiao Yan, Feng Chen*, Soumyadip Sett, Shreyas Chavan, Hang Li, Lezhou Feng, Longnan Li, Fulong Zhao, Chongyan Zhao, Zhiyong Huang, Nenad Miljkovic* (2019). Hierarchical condensation. ACS Nano, 13(7), 8169-8184. (自然指数期刊，影响因子: 17.1)（获美国华盛顿大学路易斯分校Damena Agonafer教授公开评价）
4. Wuchen Fu, Xiao Yan, Yashraj Gurumukhi, Vivek S. Garimella, William P. King, Nenad Miljkovic.* (2022). High power and energy density dynamic phase change materials using pressure-enhanced close contact melting. Nature Energy, 7(3), 270-280. (影响因子: 56.7)
5. Jin, P. =, Yan, X. =*, …., Wenquan Tao*, Miljkovic, N.* (2022). Ultra-Low Ice-Substrate Adhesion and Self-Deicing during Droplet Impacting Freezing. Cell Reports Physical Science. 3, 100894. (共同一作/通讯)
6. Hoque, Muhammad Jahidul=; Yan, Xiao=*; Qiu, Haoyun; Qin, Yimeng; Du, Xuzhi; Stermer, Jackson ; Miljkovic, Nenad.* (2023) Durability and Degradation Mechanisms of Anti-Frosting Surfaces. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 15(10), 13711-13723. (影响因子: 10.43，共同一作/通讯)
7. Hoque, Muhammad Jahidul=; Yan, Xiao=*; Feng, Yue; Ma, Jingcheng; Qiu, Haoyun; Li, Jiaqi; Du, Xuzhi; Linjawi, Majid; Agarwala, Sakshi; Miljkovic, Nenad.* (2023) Defect-Density-Controlled Phase-Change Phenomena. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 15(11), 14925-14936. (影响因子: 10.43，共同一作/通讯)
8. Zhao, C.=, Yan. X=*, …, Chen, F., Miljkovic, N.* (2022). Exploring the limit of micro-scale confined condensation heat transfer: a numerical simulation. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. 193, 122758. (共同一作/通讯)
9. Li, J., Kang, D., Fazle Rabbi, K., Fu, W., Yan, X., Fang, X., ... & Miljkovic, N. (2021). Liquid film–induced critical heat flux enhancement on structured surfaces. Science Advances, 7(26), eabg4537.
10. Rabbi, K. F., Ho, J. Y., Yan, X., Ma, J., Hoque, M. J., Sett, S., & Miljkovic, N. (2022). Polydimethylsiloxane-Silane Synergy enables Dropwise Condensation of Low Surface Tension Liquids. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(19), 2112837.
11. Li, L., Khodakarami, S., Yan, X., Fazle Rabbi, K., Gunay, A. A., Stillwell, A., & Miljkovic, N. (2022). Enabling Renewable Energy Technologies in Harsh Climates with Ultra‐Efficient Electro‐Thermal Desnowing, Defrosting, and Deicing. Advanced Functional Materials, 2201521.
12. Zhang, H., Zhao, G., Wu, S., Alsaid, Y., Zhao, W., Yan, X., ... & Wang, J. (2021). Solar anti-icing surface with enhanced condensate self-removing at extreme environmental conditions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(18).
