Zhigang Yao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, IEEE Senior Member, Master's Supervisor, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, China . Selected for the Ministry of Education of China's Talent Introduction Program and recognized as a High-Level Talent of Chongqing. He received his bachelor's and doctoral degrees from the College of Electrical Engineering at Chongqing University. He previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Southwest Jiaotong University and as a Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

   He specializes in high-power, high-efficiency power electronics technology, making significant contributions to the research of ZVS soft-switching, interleaved parallel, and multilevel DC-DC converter and DC-AC inverter technologies. His work primarily focuses on high-efficiency converters for AI server chip power supply, battery energy storage, electric vehicles and charging stations, fuel cells, and rail transit systems.

    He has published over 60 SCI/EI papers, including over 30 as first author/corresponding author (over 20 in IEEE Transactions journals). His work includes 1 ESI Highly Cited Paper and 2 Best Paper Awards. He has filed or been granted 11 Chinese invention patents and 3 multi-regional invention patents in the United States and Singapore. He has led 1 National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) project, 2 provincial-level projects, 1 municipal science and technology project, and 3 enterprise commissioned projects. He has participated in 3 power grid science and technology projects and 1 international cooperation project (a 180kW fuel cell DC-DC converter). He led the development of a 150kW isolated DC-DC converter and possesses research and development experience in high-efficiency DC-DC converters and DC-AC inverters with efficiencies exceeding 99%. He has guided students to win first prize in the National Graduate Electronic Design Competition (Aerospace Space Power Cup). Two of his master's students have received the National Scholarship for Postgraduates, and two have successfully transferred from master's to doctoral studies.

Recruitment:

Master's students (majors in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics Technology, etc.) are welcome to contact: zgyao@cqu.edu.cn. The team also recruits doctoral students; inquiries are welcome via email.

Research Projects:

(1) Ministry of Education of China Talent Introduction Program, 2026-2028, Principal Investigator (PI).

(2) Provincial/Ministerial Level Talent Project: High-Efficiency Advanced Circuit Topologies, Control, and Integrated Design for AI Server Chip Power Supply, PI.

(3) National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund: Research on Self-Balancing Mechanism and Control of Interleaved Parallel Three-Level DC-DC Converters for Fuel Cells, PI (Excellent in Completion).

(4) Provincial Natural Science Foundation Project: Research on Current Balancing and Control of Interleaved Parallel Isolated Converters for Hydrogen Energy Transportation Fuel Cells, PI.

(5) Municipal Science and Technology Project: Research on Current Balancing Control of High-Power Interleaved Parallel DC-DC Converters for Fuel Cells, PI.

(6) Enterprise-Commissioned Development Project: Development of High-Efficiency Power Electronic Converters for Megawatt-Level Photovoltaic Energy Storage Grid-Connected Systems, PI.

(7) Enterprise-Commissioned Development Project: Development of a 150kW Isolated DC-DC Converter, PI.

(8) Enterprise-Commissioned Development Project: Research on Dual-Channel Ultrasonic Motor Drive and Control Circuit Design, PI.

(9) Enterprise-Commissioned Development Project: Research and Development of On-Board Isolated DC-DC Converters and Parallel Stabilization Control Systems, PI.

(10) International Cooperation Project: SiC Device-Based 180kW Soft-Switching DC-DC Converter for Fuel Cell Vehicles, Key Participant.

Representative papers:

[1] Zhigang Yao, Xinyu He, Shuai Lu, Yi Tang. Sensorless Simultaneous Self-Balance Mechanism of Voltage and Current Based on Near-CRM in Interleaved Three-Level DC–DC Converter [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Feb. 2024. 

[2] Zhigang Yao, Xinyu He, Muyang Liu, Jingrui Liu, Ziheng Xiao, Yi Tang. Fixed Switching Frequency Control Using Trapezoidal Current Mode to Achieve ZVS in Three-Level DC-DC Converters [J]. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, April 2025.

[3] Zhigang Yao, Haogang Lan, Xinyu He, Fei Deng, Caisheng Wang, Shuai Lu, Yi Tang. Nonlinear Inductor-Based Single Sensor Current Balancing Method for Interleaved DC–DC Converters [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, April 2024. 

[4] Zhigang Yao, Muyang Liu Xinyu He, Fei Deng, Weirong Chen, Yi Tang. Single Sensor-Based Full-Range Voltage Balancing Method for Five-Level DC-DC Converters [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Sept. 2024.

[5] Zhigang Yao, Xinyu He, Haoxin Yang, Ziheng Xiao, Fei Deng, Caisheng Wang, Yi Tang. A Trapezoidal Current Mode to Reduce Peak Current in Near-CRM for Three-Level DC-DC Converter [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Aug. 2024.

[6] Zhigang Yao, Ziheng Xiao, Fei Deng, Chaohua Dai, Yi Tang. Current Ripple Prediction and ZVS-Based Variable Switching Frequency Control for Interleaved Multiphase Three-Level DC-DC Converters [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2025.

[7] Zhigang Yao, Tengfei Sun, Ziheng Xiao, Weirong Chen, Yi Tang. Smooth Optimal Trajectory and Voltage Balancing Control for T-Type Three-Level LLC Resonant Converter in Alternating Mode [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, July 2025. 

[8] Zhigang Yao, Muyang Liu, Yaohua Li, Ziheng Xiao, Yongbin Jiang, Lei Zhang, Yi Tang. Generalized Trapezoidal Current Mode-Based Zero-Voltage Switching for Multilevel DC-DC Converters [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, July 2025.

[9] Zhigang Yao, Shuai Lu. Voltage Self-Balance Mechanism Based on Zero-Voltage Switching for Three-Level DC–DC Converter [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Oct. 2020. 

[10] Zhigang Yao, Shuai Lu. A Simple Approach to Enhance the Effectiveness of Passive Currents Balancing in an Interleaved Multiphase Bidirectional DC–DC Converter [J]. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Aug. 2019.