Tong Mu
穆童
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics, Harbin Institute of Technology
mutong19970320@gmail.comAbout
Tong Mu is a Postdoctoral Fellow with a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Harbin Institute of Technology under Prof. Jinsong Leng. He was a CSC Visiting Student at Nanyang Technological University under Prof. K. Jimmy Hsia, where he collaborated closely with Dr. Changhong Linghu on large-deformation contact mechanics. He also holds an M.Eng. in Solid Mechanics from HIT under Prof. Yanju Liu and a B.Eng. in Aerospace Engineering from HIT.
His research spans large-deformation contact mechanics, shape memory polymers (SMPs) and their composites, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), 4D printing, and smart materials and structures. He has published 17 papers, including 2 first-author papers in Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids (JMPS) on extreme compression scaling laws and deep indentation of soft materials, and a highly cited (356 citations) first-author review on SMP composites in Composites Science and Technology. His co-first-author work appears in Composites Part B (IF=14.2), ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Composite Structures, and SCIENCE CHINA Materials. He holds 3 granted invention patents and won the Best Student Paper Award (Gold Award) at the 2nd Chinese Conference on Smart Materials and Structural Systems (SMSS 2025).
Research Interests
Education
Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics
Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
CSC Visiting Student in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
M.Eng. in Solid Mechanics
Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
B.Eng. in Aerospace Environmental and Life Support Engineering
Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Selected Research Projects
Large-Deformation Contact Mechanics and Its Applications
Oct 2024 – PresentVisiting Researcher | NTU
Developed theoretical models for deep indentation on elastic substrates, extreme compression of elastic spheres, and universal scaling laws for large-deformation contact. Applied contact mechanics principles to tactile sensing and soft material interactions.
- Published 2 first-author papers in JMPS on extreme compression scaling laws and deep indentation.
- Derived universal scaling laws and geometric mapping framework for soft material indentation.
- Submitted first-author paper on scaling law for large-deformation contact (Under Review — PNAS).
- Mentored 3 undergraduate students in contact mechanics research.
Mechanics and Structural Design of Liquid Crystal Elastomer Composites
Jan 2023 – Sep 2024Doctoral Researcher | HIT
Investigated active deformation modeling of liquid crystal elastomer composites (LCECs), developed stimulation methods for LCEC actuators, and designed LCEC-based soft robotic structures.
- Published 4 papers (3 as first/co-first) in Composites Part B, Composites Part A, ACS AMI, etc.
- Developed multi-stimulus responsive and multi-directional morphing LCEC actuators.
- Granted 2 invention patents on 4D-printed LCE artificial muscles and soft robots.
Mechanics of Shape Memory Polymers and Their Composites
Sep 2019 – Dec 2022Master's Researcher | HIT
Developed constitutive models for SMPs with FEA implementation (UMAT), created 4D printing simulation methods for SMP structures, and analyzed post-buckling and damage behavior of SMP composites.
- Published 7 papers (5 as first/co-first) in Compos. Part B, Compos. Sci. Technol., Compos. Struct., etc.
- Developed phase-transition constitutive model for reprocessible thermadapt SMPs.
- Granted 1 invention patent on multi-stage recoverable shape-memory structures.
Publications
Published Papers
Mu T, Li R, Linghu C*, Liu Y, Leng J*, Gao H, Hsia KJ*, Nonlinear Contact Mechanics of Soft Elastic Spheres Under Extreme Compression.
Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 203, 106229
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2025.106229Mu T, Linghu C*, Liu Y, Leng J*, Gao H*, Hsia KJ*, Universal scaling laws and a geometric mapping framework for deep indentation of soft materials.
Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 212, 106572
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2026.106572Mu T, Jia F, Zhao W, Liu Y, Leng J*, A phase-transition model of reprocessible thermadapt shape memory polymer.
Smart Materials and Structures, 33(4), 045007
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665x/ad2c72Mu T, Liu L, Lan X, Liu Y, Leng J*, Shape memory polymers for composites.
Composites Science and Technology, 160, 169–198
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2018.03.018Linghu C#, Mu T#, Zhao W, Liu Y, Hsia KJ, Leng J, Gao H*, Advancing smart dry adhesives with shape memory polymers.
International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials, 16(1), 103–143
https://doi.org/10.1080/19475411.2024.2439954Xia Y#, Mu T#, He Y, Liu Y*, Leng J*, Fiber-reinforced liquid crystalline elastomer composite actuators with multi-stimulus response properties and multi-directional morphing capabilities.
Composites Part B: Engineering, 256, 110640
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2023.110640Xia Y#, Mu T#, Guo J*, Liu Y, Leng J*, Multifunctional Untethered Soft Machines Driven by 4D Printed Electrically Responsive Actuators.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c06159Xia Y#, Mu T#, Liu Y, Leng J*, Carbon fiber reinforced liquid crystalline elastomer composites: a dual exploration in strength augmentation and transformation flexibility through 4D printing.
International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials, 15(2), 312–329
https://doi.org/10.1080/19475411.2024.2332645Zhao H#, Mu T#, Lan X*, Liu L, Liu Y, Leng J*, Microbuckling behavior of unidirectional fiber-reinforced shape memory polymer composite undergoing compressive deformation.
Composite Structures, 297, 115975
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2022.115975Wang J#, Mu T#, Xia Y, Jiang B, Wang C*, Temperature-responsive 4D printing with shape memory polymers: Advancing simulation with a viscoelastic constitutive model.
Applied Materials Today, 42, 102604
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2025.102604Wang J#, Mu T#, Li N, Xia Y*, Wang C*, 4D-Printed Metamaterials with Real-Time Programmable Negative Stiffness.
International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials, 17(1), 2640403
https://doi.org/10.1080/19475411.2026.2640403Wang J#, Mu T#, Wang H, Chen B, Liu X, Zhang L*, Li N*, Wang C*, Tunable multistability and vibration isolation of programmable metamaterials via modular regulation.
International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials, 17(1), 2658053
https://doi.org/10.1080/19475411.2026.2658053Li C#, Mu T#, Tang Q, Yao C, Ling S, Jiang J, Zhang S, Linghu C*, Song J*, Heating-mode-defined energy pathways govern non-contact release in shape memory polymer transfer printing.
SCIENCE CHINA Materials
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-026-4250-0Li R, Mu T, Linghu C*, Zhang W*, Hsia KJ*, Capturing flying objects through viscoelastic adhesion.
Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 212, 106574
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2026.106574Liu Z, Mu T, Lan X, et al., Liu Y*, Leng J*, Structural and damage analysis of a programmable shape memory locking laminate with large deformation.
Composites Part B: Engineering, 259, 110755
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2023.110755Xia Y, Mu T, Liu Y*, Leng J*, Harnessing the power of carbon fiber reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites for high-performance aerospace materials: A comprehensive investigation on reversible transformation and shape memory deformation.
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 177, 107943
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2023.107943Liu Z, Mu T, Lan X*, Liu L, Bian W, Liu Y, Leng J*, Damage behavior analysis of unidirectional fiber reinforced shape memory polymer composites.
Composite Structures, 304, 116392
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2022.116392Manuscripts in Preparation
Mu T, Weng S, Linghu C., Liu Y, Leng J, Hsia KJ, Gao H, A scaling law for large-deformation contact in soft materials.
Intellectual Property
Invention Patents
A multi-stage recoverable shape-memory structure and its preparation method
Inventors: Liu Y, Mu T, Liu L, Li F, Lan X, Leng J
A 4D-printed continuous fiber-reinforced liquid-crystal-elastomer artificial muscle and its application
Inventors: Leng J, Xia Y, Mu T, Liu Y
A liquid-crystal-elastomer-based cross-media soft robot and its preparation method
Inventors: Leng J, Xia Y, Mu T, Liu Y
Selected Awards & Honors
Best Student Paper Award (Gold Award), 2nd Chinese Conference on Smart Materials and Structural Systems (SMSS 2025)
2025CSC Scholarship for Joint Ph.D. Training Program, Nanyang Technological University
2024–2025