Academician Xue Qikun: China's quantum science and technology is in the first echelon in the world

China News Network

2024-06-24 11:22Posted on the official account of China News Network in Beijing

　　Chinanews.com, Beijing, June 24 (Reporter Sun Zifa) In recent years, quantum technology, represented by quantum information, has become one of the cutting-edge research directions that has attracted much attention in the world.

　　Xue Qikun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, professor of Tsinghua University, and president of Southern University of Science and Technology, pointed out that superconductivity is a typical macroscopic quantum phenomenon, and that in the two important fields of quantum science, quantum information and high-temperature superconductivity, China is in the first echelon of the world in terms of the quality of talents and the level of research, reaching the world's first-class level.

　　After leading the team to complete the "Experimental Discovery of Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect" six years ago and winning the only first prize of the 2018 National Natural Science Award, Academician Xue Qikun once again appeared on the podium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 24 and won the 2023 National Highest Science and Technology Award, becoming the youngest winner of the award since the first selection and award in 2000.

Academician Xue Qikun was interviewed by the media at Tsinghua University, sharing his personal growth and scientific research experience. Photo by Chinanews reporter Sun Zifa

　　In a recent interview with reporters at Tsinghua University, he said that China will become an important force in the world in promoting the development of quantum technology and quantum information technology and leading the quantum information revolution. "So, [I] am full of confidence in the future development of quantum technology in our country."

　　Quantum Revolution: China will become a major force in the world

　　Academician Xue Qikun is not only an experimental physicist with an international reputation in the field of condensed matter physics, which has grown up with China's reform and opening up, but also one of the outstanding scientists who have made international leading scientific breakthroughs in the field of basic research in China since the reform and opening up. He has creatively developed molecular beam epitaxy, scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy ultra-high vacuum interconnection system, forming a powerful experimental technology for the controllable preparation and characterization of quantum materials at the atomic scale.

　　On this basis, Xue Qikun led the team to make two original scientific discoveries on quantum anomalous Hall effect and interface high-temperature superconductivity. Among them, the experimental discovery of quantum anomalous Hall effect in topological insulators is a milestone breakthrough in the field of condensed matter physics, and the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity at heterojunction interface has opened a new research direction of high-temperature superconductivity, both of which have had a huge academic impact on the world.

　　Xue Qikun said that China has occupied an important place in the international community for basic and applied research in the fields of quantum information and high-temperature superconductivity. Talking about the future development of quantum technology, he pointed out that quantum information science, represented by quantum computing as the core, is likely to break out a revolution, "This revolution is not necessarily less significant than the information revolution that we are happening now, and it is more difficult." It can be said that quantum information and quantum technology have provided a new epoch-making research field for scientists all over the world, including Chinese scientists.

　　In this regard, China is no longer just learning, imitating and catching up with advanced developed countries as before, but is basically on the same starting line with the international level in quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum measurement. At the same time, China's basic research, source contribution, and development prospects have unique advantages, and the contribution is expected to surpass that of the past. China will become an important force in the world in promoting the development of quantum technology and quantum information technology and leading the quantum information revolution.

　　Xue Qikun emphasized that after more than 40 years of reform, opening up and rapid development, China's accumulation of talents, technology and other aspects has reached certain conditions, and on this basis, it has the important strength to work together with the world's advanced countries in quantum science and technology to promote the formation of a scientific and technological revolution. "This is an area or a period in history that I think is rare."

　Happy scientific research: "Yimeng boat sails into the sea of the world"

　　For most of the interview, Xue Qikun was smiling, happily communicating with the representatives of the scientific research team around him, and smiling in response to questions from the media, which is also in line with his emphasis on happy scientific research.

　　Xue Qikun said that although he experienced the setback of failing the postgraduate entrance examination twice and the postgraduate study was not particularly smooth, this did not affect his attitude of insisting on happy study, work and life. "In fact, our team has never said that we feel very depressed, and we have been happily, actively and diligently exhausting our own efforts in every possible direction for more than 20 years, and achieving scientific breakthroughs as much as possible within our capabilities."

　　In the process of tackling the quantum anomalous Hall effect, Xue Qikun's team and the cooperative team fought together. He said, "We have carried out joint research, and the specific process is actually happy", solved many complex academic problems, including technical problems, route problems, etc., through happy and hard scientific research, the ability of the cooperative team to the extreme, and finally succeeded.

　　There is no contradiction between being happy and industrious in conducting scientific research. Xue Qikun often works in the laboratory from 7 a.m. and does not leave until 11 p.m. "Most people want to work more smoothly and have a more successful career, and I think diligence is very important."

　　He said that during the eight years of studying and working in Japan and the United States, he was exposed to the world's most advanced experimental technology and the international open environment, and in order to learn the most advanced experimental technology, he gradually developed the habit of working diligently every day "7-11" and the rigorous attitude of carrying out experimental scientific research. "If a person wants to achieve something, the first is talent, the second is hard work, there is 1 point of talent, it takes 99 points of effort, it can be said that if I can make a little achievement, I think I am very happy and extremely hard-working."

　　On the question of how to look at the failure of scientific research, Xue Qikun believes that for scientists, the best answer to this question is that "failure is the mother of success". In fact, scientific research is explored under correct academic judgment, and the setbacks encountered are not called failures: if the goal cannot be achieved in the experiment, it can only prove that the academic judgment is not necessarily correct, which is an opportunity to improve academic judgment and improve academic ability; Every setback in specific exploration can be regarded as a contribution to science, an effort to explore the right path.

　　Xue Qikun said that his personal experience of studying and working overseas for eight years has triggered his strong belief and motivation to do more for the country. First, as Chinese, we must contribute to the beauty of our homeland and the progress of the motherland, and as Chinese scientists, we must have the responsibility and responsibility to contribute to the country's high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-reliance; The second is a strong interest in scientific research, especially exploring the unknown, discovering new scientific laws and achieving scientific breakthroughs, which is a kind of curiosity that comes from the heart of scientists.

　　In the eyes of Xue Qikun's colleagues, students and research partners at Tsinghua University, he is amiable in life, strict in his study and work, full of passion, and pursues the ultimate, forming an atmosphere of "doing the best research" through happy scientific research, and making the best research results.

　　Xue Qikun said that he is a college student and scientist who grew up with the country's reform and opening up, and his growth process completely relied on the background of the country's reform and opening up and rapid development. He thanked the people for their cultivation and the platform provided by the country, "so that I, a small boat that set off from Yimeng Mountain, sailed into the world's seas and explored in the ocean."

　Future goal: to anchor the research direction with world difficulty

　　In the "sea" of the world of scientific research, the happy and hard-working "Yimeng Mountain Boat" cleaves the waves.

　　Based on his outstanding contributions to the research of quantum anomalous Hall effect and high-temperature superconductivity, Xue Qikun has successively won the 2022 International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Philez London Memorial Award, the highest international award in condensed matter physics, and the 2024 American Physical Society Oliver Buckley Prize in Condensed Matter Physics, the highest international award in condensed matter physics, and is also the first Chinese scientist to win these two awards.

　　In the eyes of ordinary people, the "Yimeng Mountain Boat" is now a success, and it can be moored in a quiet harbor to rest and enjoy. In this regard, Xue Qikun emphasized that the pursuit of scientific research is endless, "as long as there are any possible scientific discoveries, we want to try; We all have to work on what we think is the most challenging and suitable for us in the whole field of physics around the world."

　　In recent years, Xue Qikun has led the research team to continue to deepen the research on quantum anomalous Hall effect and high-temperature superconductivity, and has continuously achieved new results, continuing to lead the international academic frontier progress in these two directions.

　　He pointed out that in the direction of the quantum anomalous Hall effect, the research results must be increased in order to be practical, or to make further research discoveries, and how to increase the temperature? Whether it is through materials or some new approaches, this is one of the directions that the research team is currently exploring, that is, the high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect and its possible applications.

　　In addition, in exploring the application of quantum anomalous Hall effect and related quantum states in topological quantum computing, topological qubits can be constructed with quantum anomalous Hall effect and its related quantum states, which is also a world-class research direction for the research team to explore its future application in the direction of quantum computing.

　　In the direction of high-temperature superconductivity, it has been nearly 40 years since the discovery of copper oxide high-temperature superconductivity in 1986, but there has not been a new superconducting system in the world with a superconducting transition temperature of more than 77 Kei (minus 196 degrees Celsius) at atmospheric pressure, and there is no clear answer to the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity of copper oxide, that is, why it has superconductivity at such a high temperature. In this regard, "our team also has some very innovative ideas, which are expected to discover new high-temperature superconducting systems that may be above the 77 cel liquid nitrogen temperature region for the first time, and strive to make our contribution to solving the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity." Xue Qikun revealed.

Academician Xue Qikun was interviewed by the media at Tsinghua University. Photo by Chinanews reporter Sun Zifa

　　If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools. Xue Qikun attaches great importance to and emphasizes the important role of scientific research instruments, and believes that they are necessary tools to achieve major scientific and technological breakthroughs from "0 to 1". He led the research team to complete the national major scientific research instrument development project - "Development of In-situ Comprehensive Experimental Research Platform for Physical Properties of Non-equilibrium Quantum Matter in Low Dimension", expanding the ultra-high vacuum interconnection to a variety of precision preparation and measurement methods, providing an internationally unique platform for the research of low-dimensional quantum physics, laying a solid foundation for exploring more novel quantum states and effects, and making important contributions to the development of domestic high-end scientific research instruments in China.

　　There is a world-class research direction, and talent is the foundation. As an outstanding strategic scientist in the field of quantum science and technology in China, Xue Qikun has made remarkable achievements in talent training and team building, at present, he has trained more than 120 doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, led by the team and trained students, one person has been elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, more than 30 people have been selected into the national talent plan, and have established a talent team with international standards in the field of low-dimensional physics and quantum materials in China.

　　Xue Qikun said that he and his research team will continue to work hard in the future to promote the solution of a series of major scientific problems such as the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity, the high-temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect, the application of topological quantum states of matter, and the realization of topological quantum computing. (ENDS)

　　Biography of the winners of the 2023 National Science and Technology Award:

　　Xue Qikun is a well-known scientist in the field of quantum materials and states of matter. He was born in December 1963 and is from Mengyin, Shandong. He received his bachelor's degree from Shandong University in 1984 and his Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994. From 1992 to 1999, he studied and worked at the Institute of Metal Materials, Tohoku University, Japan, and the Department of Physics, North Carolina State University. From 1999 to 2005, he was a researcher at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the director of the State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics. He has been a professor in the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University since 2005, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the same year, the dean of the School of Science and the head of the Department of Physics at Tsinghua University from 2010 to 2013, the director of the State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics from 2011 to 2016, the vice president of Tsinghua University from 2013 to 2020, the first president of the Beijing Institute of Quantum Information Science since 2017, the president of the Southern University of Science and Technology since 2020, and the director of the Quantum Science Center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area since 2022.

　　During his tenure as Vice President of Tsinghua University, Xue Qikun made forward-looking designs in interdisciplinary research team building and interdisciplinary layout, making important contributions to the high-quality development of the university's scientific research work. After becoming the president of Southern University of Science and Technology, Xue Qikun led the school to run hard along the track of a new research university, contributing to the construction of a high-level talent highland in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. (ENDS)

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