Experimental and Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics — Soft Matter

Research Summary
Professor Tao explores the electrorheological (ER) and magneto-rheological (MR) effect on complex fluids, including blood, liquid chocolate, and crude oil, etc. Sever hypertension comes with headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath… Lowering blood pressure requires reducing blood viscosity and suppressing turbulence. However, these two tasks conventionally conflict each other. A lower isotropic viscosity leads to a higher Reynold number, indicating worse turbulence. Based on the MR effect, a magnetic hematology device is invented to simultaneously reduce patients’ blood viscosity along the flow direction and suppress turbulence, curing their hypertension. Tao also utilizes the ER effect to reduce the viscosity of liquid chocolate and the fat level in chocolate, making it healthier and tastier. In addition, the ER effect further leads to a new technology to reduce crude oil viscosity, suppress turbulence in pipeline and improving engine efficiency. He has also investigated superconductors in a strong electric field, examining the fundamental physics related to the interactions between superconductors and electric field. His work in quantum Hall effect is regarded as the starting point of topological quantization and topological phases of matter. Recently he also explores new treatment with strong magnetic field to disassemble blood clots for Covid-19 patients with severe thrombosis.

Education
Ph.D. Physics, Columbia University, New York (May 1982)
M. Ph. Physics, Columbia University, New York (Jan. 1982)
M. A. Physics, Columbia University, New York (Oct. 1980)
BS University of Science and Technology of China (1970)

Selected Publications

  • R. Tao, H. Tang, X. Xu, K. Tawhid-Al-Islam, E. Du, “Systems and methods for reducing the viscosity of blood, suppressing turbulence in blood circulation, and curing rouleaux” (Patent Cooperation Treaty), PCT/US2017/059446, WO2018/085330A4 (2022); US Patent 11,406,840 B2 (2022).
  • R. Tao, H. Tang, K. Tawhid-Al-Islam, E. Du, and J. Kim, “Electrorheology leads to healthier and tastier chocolate,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, V 113, N 27, 7399-7402 (2016).
  • R. Tao & K. Huang, “Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic fields,” Physical Review E, V84, 011905: 1-5 (2011).
  • R. Tao, “Electrorheology for efficient energy production and conservation,” Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structure s, V22, 1667-1671 (2011).
  • R. Tao, X. Zhang, X. Tang, and P. W. Anderson, "Formation of High Temperature Superconducting Balls," Phys. Rev. Lett. V. 83, 5575-78 (1999).
  • R. Tao and J. M. Sun, "Three-dimensional Structure of Induced Electrorheological Solid," Phys. Rev. Lett. V67, 398-401 (1991).
  • R. Tao and A. Widom, "Integral and fractional quantization of a class of quantum systems," Phys. Rev. B V35, 9853-9855 (1987).
  • R. Tao and F. D. M. Haldane, "Impurity effect, degeneracy, and topological invariant in the quantum Hall effect," Phys. Rev. B V33, 3844-50 (1986).
  • R. Tao and D. J. Thouless, "Fractional quantization of Hall conductance," Phys. Rev. B V28, 1142-1144 (1983).

Awards

  • 2023 Lifetime achievement Award from the 18th International Conference on Electrorheological Fluids and Magneto-rheological Suspensions.
  • 2019 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who.
  • 2014 Outstanding Research Award from CST, Temple University.
  • 2004 American Physical Society Fellow (Division of Condensed Matter Physics).
  • 1998 Southern Illinois University Outstanding Scholar Award.
  • 1987 Omni magazine prize for having solved a mathematical puzzle, "vicious neighbor problem," which had remained unsolved for 19 years (shared with F. Y. Wu).​