Personal Information

Dr. Chuankang Li, "Shuanglong" Distinguished Professor, Master's Supervisor.

Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in Optical Engineering from the College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, in June 2021. He then conducted postdoctoral research at Zhejiang University from July 2021 to August 2023.

His research focuses on point-scanning optical super-resolution microscopy and its biological applications. His representative achievements include: ① Based on the nonlinear fluorescence competition mechanism, he achieved long-term imaging using the anti-bleaching property of inorganic nanoparticles. Specifically, he demonstrated super-resolution imaging with resolutions of one-twelfth and one-thirteenth of the wavelength on nanodiamonds and gold nanoparticles, respectively. Furthermore, leveraging the broad excitation/narrow emission spectral characteristics of quantum dots, he realized for the first time single-laser-source point-scanning dual-color super-resolution imaging. ② He proposed a low-background, long-term nanoscopy method based on frequency-domain modulation. Compared to conventional stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, this method quantitatively removes secondary excitation background and incompletely depleted background, significantly improving imaging quality. ③ In single-molecule localization imaging, he developed a localization method based on a sub-diffraction dark spot, which increases the required dye concentration by an order of magnitude compared to the minimal photon flux (MINFLUX) method.

To date, he has published over 20 scientific papers in prestigious domestic and international journals such as ACS Nano, Advanced Photonics, Laser & Photonics Reviews, and ACS Photonics. He holds more than ten national invention patents. His honors include the "17th Wang Daheng Optics Award" in 2020. He has led several research projects, including the National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientist Fund), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Special Funding (Pre-station), and the 71st Batch of General Funding from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. He serves as a peer reviewer for journals including Photonics Research, Scientific Reports, and Optics Letters.

Research Projects

[1] National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientist Fund), "Study on Low-background Long-term Nanoscopy Based on Frequency-domain Modulation," Grant No. 62205288, 300,000 RMB, 2023.01–2025.12 (Principal Investigator)
[2] China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (71st Batch, Second Class), "Study on Nonlinear Competition Super-resolution Microscopy Based on Ground State Depletion," Grant No. 2022M712734, 80,000 RMB, 2022.07–2023.06 (Principal Investigator)
[3] China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Special Funding (Pre-station), "Study on Fast Sub-10 nm Sub-diffraction Dark Spot Localization and Imaging Method," Grant No. 2021TQ0275, 180,000 RMB, 2021.09–2023.06 (Principal Investigator)
[4] Zhejiang Province Zhijiang Laboratory Project, "Brain Observation and Brain-Machine Integration," Grant No. 2018EB0ZX01, 5,670,000 RMB, 2019.01–2020.12 (Participant)
[5] Zhejiang Normal University Research Start-up Fund, Grant No. YS304124991, 700,000 RMB, 2024.09–2028.08 (Principal Investigator)
[6] National Key R&D Program of China (Special Project for Basic Scientific Research Conditions and Major Scientific Instrument Development), "High-precision Single-molecule Localization Technology and Module Research" (Sub-project), Grant No. 2024YFF0726002, 300,000 RMB, 2024.12–2027.11 (Principal Investigator)

Publications

[1] Li C, Kuang C, Liu X. Prospects for Fluorescence Nanoscopy. ACS Nano 2018;12(5):4081-4085. (Q1, IF=18.0)
[2] Wang W#, Li C#, Zhan Z, Zhang Z, Han Y, Kuang C, Liu X. Dual-modulation difference stimulated emission depletion microscopy to suppress the background signal. Advanced Photonics 2022;4(4):046001. (Q1, IF=20.6)
[3] Li C, Le V, Wang X, Hao X, Liu X, Kuang C. Resolution Enhancement and Background Suppression in Optical Super-resolution Imaging for Biological Applications. Laser & Photonics Reviews 2020;15(1):1900084. (Q1, IF=13.1)
[4] Li C, Li YZ, Zhan Z, Li YH, Liu XN, Liu Y, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. Sub-diffraction dark spot localization microscopy. Photonics Research 2021;9(8):1455-1461. (Q1, IF=7.2)
[5] Li C, Li YH, Han Y, Zhang Z, Li YZ, Wang W, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. Pulsed Saturated Absorption Competition Microscopy on Nonbleaching Nanoparticles. ACS Photonics 2020;7(7):1788-1798. (Q1, IF=7.1)
[6] Li C, Zhou R, Wang W, Zhan Z, Zhang Z, Li YH, Li YZ, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. Background suppression with dual modulation by saturated absorption competition microscopy. Optics and Lasers in Engineering 2021;147:106750.
[7] Zhan Z#, Li C#, Liu XN, Sun X, He C, Kuang C, Liu X. Simultaneous super-resolution estimation of single-molecule position and orientation with minimal photon fluxes. Optics Express 2022;30(12):22051-22065.
[8] He C, Zhan Z, Li C, Sun X, Liu Y, Kuang C, Liu X. Effects of optical aberrations on localization of MINFLUX super-resolution microscopy. Optics Express 2022;30(26):46849-46860.
[9] Li C, Li YZ, Li YH, Liu X, Zhan Z, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. Analytical description of sub-diffraction dark spot. Optics Communications 2021;499:127295.
[10] Li C, Liu S, Wang W, Liu W, Kuang C, Liu X. Recent research on stimulated emission depletion microscopy for reducing photobleaching. Journal of Microscopy 2018;271(1):4-16.
[11] Li YH#, Li C#, Li YZ, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. 3D resolution enhancement in saturated competition microscopy. Applied Optics 2020;59(34):10661-10666.
[12] Li Y#, Li C#, Zhou C#, et al. Cellular optical imaging techniques: a dynamic advancing frontier. Science China-Life Sciences 2025;68(11):3242-3280. (Q1, IF=8.1)
[13] Luo J, Li C, Liu Q, Wu J, Li H, Kuang C, Hao X, Liu X. Super-Resolution Structured Illumination Microscopy Reconstruction Using a Least-Squares Solver. Frontiers in Physics 2020;8:1-8.
[14] Liu Y, Zhang Z, Li C, Liu D, Kuang C. Rotating light fields of an azimuthally polarized light beam generated by two-belt spiral phase modulation. Journal of Modern Optics 2018;65(20):2295-2300.
[15] J. Zhang, Y. Wang, J. Du, A. Xiao, W. Nie, Q. Ling, C. Li, B. M. Mao, Z. Yu, Z. Guan, D. Chen*. Half-Covered Agarose Fiber Bragg Grating for Simultaneous Measurement of Humidity and Temperature. IEEE Sensors Journal 2025, 25(12): 21710-21715.
[16] Yao Chen, Qiang Ling*, Lingyu Wang, Yunlian Ding, Si Luo, Yusheng Zhang, Haiyun Chen, Zhangwei Yu, Chuankang Li, Zuguang Guan, Daru Chen. All-fiber vector bending sensor based on a hole-assisted fiber. IEEE Sensors Journal 2025, 25(13): 24251-24256.
[17] Jinghong Zhang, Ying Wang, Barerem-Melgueba Mao, Lingyu Wang, Qiang Ling, Chuankang Li, Zhangwei Yu, Daru Chen. High-sensitivity humidity sensor based on strongly-coupled seven-core fiber for respiratory rate monitoring. Infrared Physics & Technology 2025, 151.
[18] Zhu D, Liu W, Zhang Z, Zheng C, Chen Y, Li C, Kuang C, Fan J, Xu Y, Liu X, Hussain A. Enhancement of fluorescence emission difference microscopy using conjugated vortex phase modulation. Journal of Microscopy 2018;272(2):151-159.
[19] Gan Y, Ye Z, Han Y, Ma Y, Li C, Liu Q, Liu W, Kuang C, Liu X. Single-shot autofocusing in light sheet fluorescence microscopy with multiplexed structured illumination and deep learning. Optics and Lasers in Engineering 2023;168.

Conference Presentations

[1] Li C, Li Y, Kuang C, Liu X. Fluorescence optical super-resolution imaging of nitrogen-vacancy centers based on saturated competition microscopy. Advanced Optical Imaging Technologies II, Hangzhou, 2019.11. (Oral Presentation)
[2] Li C, Li Y, Li Y, Liu S, Zhan Z, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. Sub-diffraction Dark Spot Localization Microscopy. Advanced Optical Imaging Technologies II, Hangzhou, 2020.10.
[3] Li C, Kuang C. Super-resolution microscopy and instruments. 2nd International Forum on Microscopy, Guilin, 2021.11. (Oral Presentation)
[4] Li C, Kuang C. Super-resolution microscopy and instruments. PIERS, Hangzhou, 2022.4. (Oral Presentation)
[5] Kuang C, Li C, Ding C, Liu X. From Super-resolution Imaging to Super-resolution Lithography. 2021 Chinese Optical Society Academic Conference, Shenzhen, 2021.8.
[6] Kuang C, Li C, Zhan Z, Sun Y. Sub-5 nm Super-resolution Imaging Methods and Systems. 6th Micro-nano Optics Technology and Application Exchange Conference, Nanjing, 2022.12.

Book Chapter

[1] Li C, Wang W, Hao X, Kuang C, Liu X. Stimulated emission depletion microscopy. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Oct., 2021. (ISBN 9780470015902)

Patents

[1] Kuang C, Li C, Li Y, Liu X. A three-dimensional sub-10-nm localization method and device based on parallel detection. Granted: 2021-02-26. Patent No.: ZL 2019110608622 (Granted)
[2] Kuang C, Zhan Z, Li C, Li Y, Liu X. Three-dimensional sub-10-nm localization method and device based on polarized hollow spot illumination. Granted: 2021-10-30. Patent No.: ZL 2020105678454 (Granted)
[3] Kuang C, Zhan Z, Li C, Liu X. Sub-10-nm localization and direction-finding method and device based on one-dimensional dark spot time-division illumination. Granted: 2022-04-19. Patent No.: ZL 2020111316770 (Granted)
[4] Kuang C, Li C, Zhan Z, He C, Liu X. A background noise removal method and device based on frequency-domain modulation. Granted: 2024-11-04. Patent No.: ZL2024105478795 (Granted)
[5] Kuang C, Li C, Sun X, Liu X. A two-dimensional sub-10-nm localization method and device based on polarization-switching hollow spot illumination. Granted: 2025-02-11. Patent No.: ZL2024105488320 (Granted)
[6] Li C, Chen D, Lu Y, Kuang C. A three-dimensional high-precision real-time drift correction method and device. Granted: 2025-01-27. Patent No.: ZL 2025 1 0125226.2 (Granted)
[7] Li C, Kuang C, Chen D. A single-molecule localization method based on high-speed lock-in detection. Application date: 2024-12-30. Patent No.: CN 202411967612.8 (Published)
[8] Li C, Chen D, Guan Z, Kuang C. A super-resolution microscopy method for removing Poisson background noise. Application date: 2024-12-24. Patent No.: CN 202411907623.7 (Published)
[9] Li C, Lu Y, Chen D, Kuang C. A super-resolution microscopy method for reducing photobleaching. Granted: 2025-01-25. Patent No.: ZL 2025 1 0119970.1 (Granted)
[10] Li C, Chen D, Guan Z, Kuang C. A differential nonlinear competition super-resolution microscopy method and device. Application date: 2024-12-20. Patent No.: CN 202411885654.7 (Published)
[11] Li Chuankang, Chen Daru, Lu Yuxian, Kuang Cuifang. Method and device for removing background noise in microscopic imaging based on frequency-domain modulation. Granted: 2025-10-14. Patent No.: US 12,443,049B2 (Authorized)
[12] Li C, Li D, Xiao A, Lu Y, Kuang C, Chen D. A super-resolution dark spot microscopy method based on nonlinear focal spot competition. Granted: 2025-10-17. Patent No.: ZL 2025 1 1114093.5 (Granted)
[13] Li C, Xiao A, Tong J, Lu Y, Kuang C, Chen D. An ultra-long depth-of-field vector polarization imaging system and method for minimal photon flux deep imaging. Granted: 2025. Patent No.: ZL 202511114093.5 (Granted)

Awards and Honors

[1] 17th Wang Daheng Optics Award (2020)
[2] Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Funding (2020)