AsianScientist (Aug. 6, 2014) – Dr. Yao Wang from the University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Han Yilong from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have been awarded the International Organization of Chinese Physicists and Astronomers (OCPA) Achievement in Asia Award (Robert T. Poe Prize). The award is presented annually to a scientist of Chinese ethnicity working in Asia who has made outstanding contributions in the fields of physics or astronomy.
Dr Yao’s main area of research is spin electronics and spin quantum computation, which aims at more energy-efficient electronics and much faster information processing by exploiting new ways to represent information in physical systems and new principles to process information. The current focus of his team is to investigate electron’s spin and valley pseudospin in newly emerged atomically thin two-dimensional materials, and explore their quantum mechanical behavior for new concept quantum devices.
His most representative work is the prediction of the physics associated with the valley pseudospin of electron, previously thought to be unusable due to a lack of control over its degree of freedom. Dr. Yao’s work enables the control of valley pseudospin in two-dimensional materials, making these new materials a suitable carrier of information in electronics.
Dr. Han has been devoted to fundamental research in materials physics for ten years. Particle kinetics in common materials are difficult to measure because individual atoms or molecules are too small, too quick and therefore too difficult to observe in bulk. With his research team, Dr. Han has for the first time successfully observed homogenous crystal melting at single-particle resolution, closing the long-term debate on alleged defects generated before melting. To explain this phenomenon, micrometer-sized colloidal particles were used as “big atoms” to simulate the atomic systems, thereby obtaining important insights to phase transitions.
The viscosity of supercooled liquid is known to increase dramatically but with little structural change during its transition to a disordered solid glass state. This glass transition phenomena was marked as one of the 125 greatest unsolved mysteries in all disciplines by Science magazine in 2005. Glasses stand for disordered solids which are composed of atoms, molecules, polymers or colloids. Window glass, for example, is composed of silicon oxide. Dr. Han and his collaborators investigated colloidal glasses which are composed of ellipsoidal particles and unveiled novel structural signatures of the glass transition.
OCPA is a professional nonprofit organization whose members hail from all disciplines of physics/astronomy, and spill over into chemistry, electrical engineering, computer science and mathematics. The membership includes Nobel Laureates, a Field Medalist, members of the National Academies as well as many outstanding leaders of physics/astronomy research today.
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Source: University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
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