Lin Zhou received the B.E. degree in information engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2014 and the Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the National University of Singapore in 2018. Dr. Zhou is currently an associate professor in the school of automation and intelligent manufacturing, Southern University of Science and Technology, China. Previously, Dr. Zhou was a Research Fellow with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA and an Associate Professor with the School of Cyber Science and Technology, Beihang University, Beijing, China.

Dr. Zhou’s research interests include information theory, statistical inference, wireless communications and networked control. He has authored two research monographs in the Foundations and Trends in Communications and Information Theory Series (NOW Publishers), and a book in the Textbooks in Telecommunication Engineering Series (Springer Publisher). He was recognized as the Young Scholar of the Chinese Information Theory Society in 2022. He has served as TPC members for flagship conferences including IEEE ISIT, SSP, ICCC and is currently serving as an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Communications. 

Education Background

2014.8 to 2018.8, Ph.D., National University of Singapore

2010.9 to 2014.7, Bachelor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Working Experience

From 2025.11 Associate professor, Southern University of Science and Technology

2020.8 to 2025.11, Associate professor, Beihang University, China

2019.1 to 2020.8, Research fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2018.9-2019.1, Research fellow, National University of Singapore

Research Area

Information theory, statistical learning, data science, integrated communications and control, AI for information systems

Publications

-Journal Papers:

-Journal Papers:

[1] Y. Zhang, L. Zhou* and Q. Zhang, “Capacity Region of Covert Secret Key Generation over Binary-Input Multiple Access Channels”, to appear in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 2026.

[2] J. Diao and L. Zhou*, "Sequential Outlier Hypothesis Testing Under Universality Constraints," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 71, no. 9, pp. 6602-6625,. 2025.

[3] Y. Wang, L. Bai, Z. Wu and L. Zhou*, "Achievable Second-Order Asymptotics for MAC and RAC With Additive Non-Gaussian Noise," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 71, no. 7, pp. 4953-4975, 2025.

[4] L. Zhu and L. Zhou*, "Exponentially Consistent Outlier Hypothesis Testing for Continuous Sequences," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 71, no. 5, pp. 3287-3304, 2025.

[5] L. Zhou, Q. Wang, J. Wang, L. Bai and A. O. Hero, "Large and Small Deviations for Statistical Sequence Matching," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 70, no. 11, pp. 7532-7562,. 2024.

[6] L. Zhou and A. O. Hero, "Resolution Limits of Non-Adaptive 20 Questions Search for a Moving Target," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 69, no. 9, pp. 5463-5484,. 2023.

[7] L. Bai, Z. Wu and L. Zhou*, "Achievable Refined Asymptotics for Successive Refinement Using Gaussian Codebooks," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 3525-3543, 2023.

[8] L. Zhou, L. Bai and A. O. Hero, "Resolution Limits of Non-Adaptive 20 Questions Search for Multiple Targets," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 68, no. 8, pp. 4964-4982, 2022.

[9] L. Zhou, Y. Wei and A. O. Hero, "Second-Order Asymptotically Optimal Outlier Hypothesis Testing," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 68, no. 6, pp. 3585-3607, 2022.

[10] L. Zhou and D. Cao, "Privacy-Utility Tradeoff for Hypothesis Testing Over a Noisy Channel," in IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, vol. 16, pp. 4078-4091, 2021.

[11] L. Zhou and A. O. Hero, "Resolution Limits for the Noisy Non-Adaptive 20 Questions Problem," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 2055-2073, 2021.

[12] L. Zhou, "Multiple Private Key Generation for Continuous Memoryless Sources With a Helper," in IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, vol. 15, pp. 2629-2640, 2020.

[13] L. Zhou and M. Motani, "Non-Asymptotic Converse Bounds and Refined Asymptotics for Two Source Coding Problems," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 65, no. 10, pp. 6414-6440, 2019.

[14] L. Zhou, A. Wolf and M. Motani, "On Lossy Multi-Connectivity: Finite Blocklength Performance and Second-Order Asymptotics," in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 735-748, 2019.

[15] L. Zhou, V. Y. F. Tan and M. Motani, "Refined Asymptotics for Rate-Distortion Using Gaussian Codebooks for Arbitrary Sources," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 65, no. 5, pp. 3145-3159, 2019.

[16] L. Zhou, V. Y. F. Tan and M. Motani, "The Dispersion of Mismatched Joint Source-Channel Coding for Arbitrary Sources and Additive Channels," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 2234-2251, 2019.

[17] L. Zhou, V. Y. F. Tan, L. Yu and M. Motani, "Exponential Strong Converse for Content Identification With Lossy Recovery," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 64, no. 8, pp. 5879-5897, 2018.

[18] L. Zhou, V. Y. F. Tan and M. Motani, "Achievable Moderate Deviations Asymptotics for Streaming Compression of Correlated Sources," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 3756-3780, 2018.

[19] L. Zhou, V. Y. F. Tan and M. Motani, "Second-Order and Moderate Deviations Asymptotics for Successive Refinement," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 63, no. 5, pp. 2896-2921, 2017.

[20] L. Zhou, V. Y. F. Tan and M. Motani, "Discrete Lossy Gray–Wyner Revisited: Second-Order Asymptotics, Large and Moderate Deviations," in IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 63, no. 3, pp. 1766-1791, 2017.

-Monographs:

[1] L. Zhou and A. O. Hero, “Twenty Questions: From Parlor Games to Accurate Estimation”, Foundations and Trends in Communications and Information Theory, NOW Publisher, Volume: 22, No: 4, pp: 394–605, 2025.

[2] L. Zhou and M. Motani, “Finite Blocklength Lossy Source Coding for Discrete Memoryless Sources”, Foundations and Trends in Communications and Information Theory, NOW Publisher, Volume: 20, No: 3, Pages: 157–389, 2023.

-Textbooks:

[1] L. Zhou and L. Bai, “Low-Latency Communication: Theory and Applications”, Textbook, to appear in Springer, 2025/2026.

[2] L. Bai, J. Wang, L. Zhou, D. Liu, T. Bai, J. Wang, “Communication Network Security”, Tsinghua University Press, 2025.

Patents:

[1] L. Zhou, H. Jiang, Z. Wu. A Low-Complexity Progressive Refinement Source Coding Method: China, 2024113236552[P]. 2024-09-23.

[2] L. Zhou, Y. Zhang, Z. Wu. A Multi-Node Key Generation Method Based on Polar Codes: China, 2024111493010[P]. 2024-08-21.

[3] L. Zhou, Y. He, J. Xu. A Multi-User Cooperative Covert Communication Method Based on Reverse Channel Power Control: China, 2024108425003[P]. 2024-06-27.

[4] L. Zhou, C. Sun, W. Yuan, Q. Zhang, F. Ye, S. Li. An Adaptive Channel Estimation Method in Delay-Doppler Domain Based on Q&A Learning: China, 2024104321467[P]. 2024-04-10.

[5] L. Zhou, C. Sun, Y. Su, W. Yuan. A Secure Beam Alignment Algorithm Based on Privacy-Preserving Q&A Learning: China, 2023113958342[P]. 2023-10-26.

[6] L. Zhou, Y. He, J. Xu. A Shortwave Covert Communication Method Based on Power Control: China, 2023115005454[P]. 2023-11-13.

[7] L. Zhou, C. Tang, J. Diao. A Low-Complexity Two-Stage Anomaly Detection Method for Unknown Continuous Sources: China, 2023112600956[P]. 2023-09-27.

[8] L. Zhou, H. Jiang, Z. Wu. A Low-Complexity Covert Communication Encoding and Decoding Method: China, 202311093155X[P]. 2023-08-29.

[9] L. Zhou, L. Bai, C. Sun, Y. Su. An Adaptive Multi-Beam Alignment Method Based on Q&A Learning: China, 2023109206812[P]. 2023-07-26.

[10] L. Zhou, L. Bai, C. Sun, Y. Su. A Non-Adaptive Beam Alignment Method Based on Short-Code Information Theory: China, 2022106831605[P]. 2022-06-16.

Awards

[1] Aug. 2022, First Prize of Scientific and Technological Progress, Chinese Institute of Command and Control, Rank:  3/15

[2] Dec. 2022, Young Rising Star of Information Theory Society, Chinese Institute of Electronics

Academic Honors

Dec. 2021, National Overseas High Level Young Talent Project

Jul. 2021, BUAA Excellent Young Talent Project

Dec. 2019, BUAA ``Zhuobai'' Talent Project

Position：Tenure Track Associate Professor