Dr. Chu explores advanced spectroscopy principles, develops new lidar technologies, and studies the fundamental physical and chemical processes that govern the structure and dynamics of the whole atmosphere. She is a Fellow of CIRES that is funded by CU and NOAA, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. She teaches graduate classes of spectroscopy and lidar remote sensing, and undergraduate classes ASEN 3300 "Electronics and Communications" and ASEN 3113 "Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer".
Xinzhao Chu and her research group focus on both lidar technology development and atmospheric/space science study. The technology development involves atomic, molecular and laser spectroscopy, lidar technology and instrument development, and cluster remote sensing technology applications including observational campaigns from the North Pole to the South Pole. The science study is currently focused on the polar mesospheric and stratospheric clouds, thermal structure and dynamics in the stratosphere, mesosphere and lower thermosphere in both polar and equatorial regions with observations, data analysis, and modeling. One of the goals is to send a resonance lidar into space to study the global middle atmosphere dynamics.
