目前從事量子物理與數學、信息科學的交叉研究，理論探討與實際應用的密切聯系。利用單光子探測技術和壓縮傳感優化算法理論，研究極弱光信號（包括電、光、微波等）的測探與成像。具體包括：壓縮傳感理論(CS)在多光子糾纏、量子態層析的應用；單光子時間分辨成像光譜儀器研發與應用---壓縮傳感算法包開發任務；環境和觀測噪聲對激光強度關聯成像的影響；CS在蛋白質結構計算與預測中的應用；生物材料改性研究；復雜介質對極弱信號的傳播、探測的影響，包括湍流、等離子體、磁電效應、引力場等復雜介質，并進一步研究其量子起伏。發表了包括JACS、APL、Biomaterials在內的 SCI論文80余篇。參編教材一部：《物理光學基礎》(國防工業出版社2009)。

在研項目：

（1）單光子時間分辨成像光譜儀器研發與應用---壓縮傳感算法開發（科技部大型儀器專項，2013,10 – 2018,10）；

（2）物理測量中的Wirtinger flow相位恢復與應用（自然科學基金面上項目，2017,01 – 2020,12）

（3）國防在研項目3項。目前已畢業碩士生16人，博士生3人。在讀博士生 10 名，碩士生 1 名。每年擬招收碩士生、博士生、博士后 3-4人。

學術成就

代表性論文：

【1】Fang-Qi Hu, Wei Jia, Qing Zhao*, Effect of the Magnetic Dipole Interaction on a Spin-1 System, Annals of Physics (2018);

【2】Wei Jia, Yi-rong Ma, Fang-Qi Hu, Qing Zhao*, Dirac potential in Doebner-Goldin equation, Annals of Physics 388 (2018) 197–205;

【3】Wei Jia, Fang-Qi Hu, Ning Wu, Qing Zhao*, Effect of electron spin-spin interaction on level crossings and spin flips in a spin-triplet system, Physical Review A, Dec. 2017, Vol. 96,No. 6;

【4】Yi-ping Lu, Nicolas L. Naumann, Javier Cerrillo, Qing Zhao*, Andreas Knorrand, Alexander Carmele*, Intensified antibunching via feedback-induced quantum interference, Physical Review A 95, 063840 (2017)

【5】Yi-ping Lu, Qing Zhao*, Enhancing multi-step quantum state tomography by Phaselift, Annals of Physics 384 (2017) 198–210.

【6】Jian-ye Wei, Waqas, Qing Zhao*, Scattering of Electromagnetic Wave by Vortex Flow, Physics Letter A 381 (2017) 1463–1469

【7】Zhicheng Li, Yang Li, Qiang Lei, Qing Zhao*, Protein Structure Estimation from NMR Data by Matrix Completion, European Biophysics Journal, Sept. 2017, Volume 46, Issue 6, pp 525–532

【8】Yi-ping Lu, Qing Zhao*, Minimum Copies of Schrodinger Cat State in the Measurement of Multi-Photon Entanglement, Scientific Report, (6:32057，2016)

【9】Qing Zhao*, Waqas Mahmood, Yanying Zhu, Synthesis of MgHP4O Mg(OH)2 Nanostructure films by Hydrothermal Method, Applied Surface Science (367 (2016) 249–258))

【10】Yi-ping Lu, Huan Liu, Qing Zhao*, Quantum State Tomography and Fidelity Estimation via Phaselift, Annals of physics, Volume 360, September 2015, Pages 161–179 (2015);

【11】Yanying Zhu, Qing Zhao*, Guangming Wu, Yun-Hong Zhang, Hydrothermal Synthesis of Protective Coating on Magnesium Alloy Using Deionized water, Surface & Coatings Technology, 206(2012) 2961-2966

【12】Yanying Zhu, Guangming Wu, Yun-Hong Zhang, Qing Zhao*, Growth and characterization of Mg(OH)2 film on magnesium alloy AZ31, Applied Surface Science, 2011, 257, pp. 6129-6137.

【13】Q. Zhao*, R.P. Deng, Francisco Zaera, Formation of an Oxametallacycle Surface Intermediate via Thermal Activation of 1-Chloro-2-Methyl-2-Propanol on Ni(100), J. Phys. Chem. C, 2010, 114,7913-7919.

【14】H.Y. Hu, Q. Zhao*, Study of S+ ion-assisted sulfurization of n-GaAs (100) surface, Applied Surface Science, 2008, 254: 8029-8034.

【15】Q. Zhao*, G.J. Zhai, R.W.M. Kwok, Structural and electrical analysis of S+ ion bombarded p-InP(100), Applied Surface Science, 2006, 253：1356-1364.

【16】Q. Zhao and F. Zaera, Switching of Alcohol Oxidation Mechanism on Nickel Surfaces by Fluorine Substitution, JACS, 125（36）2003, 10776-10777.

【17】Q. Zhao, Francisco Zaera, The adsorption and thermal conversion of 2-iodoethanol on Ni (100) surfaces: Hydroxyalkyls and Oxametallacycles as key intermediates during the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons, J.Phys. Chem. B,107(34), 9047 (2003).

【18】Q. Zhao, Guang-jie Zhai, D.H.L. Ng, Xiao-zhong Zhang, Zhi-qing Chen, "Surface Modification of Al2O3 Ceramic by NH2+ ion Implantation", Elsvier Science, Biomaterials 20 (1999) 595-599.