Xiaoxing Xi (Chinese: 郗小星; pinyin: Xī Xiǎoxīng; born 1957) is a Chinese-born American physicist.
The US Justice Department (DOJ) had accused the scientist of illegally sending trade secrets to China: specifically, the design of a pocket heater used in superconductor research, threatening him with 80 years in prison and $1 million in fines.
It was later learned that FBI agents had been listening to his phone calls and reading his emails for months — possibly years.
[3][4] According to Xi's lawyer Peter Zeidenberg, the government did not understand the complicated science and failed to consult with experts before arresting him.
However, recent Supreme Court decisions will make it difficult to obtain damages for violations of constitutional rights.
His research focus is on materials physics, specifically the applications of epitaxial thin films and nanoscale heterostructures.