Xue Qikun Explained

Office1:	President of Southern University of Science and Technology
Term Start1:	November 2020
Predecessor1:	Chen Shiyi
Xue Qikun
Native Name:	薛其坤
Native Name Lang:	zh
Birth Date:	1963 12, df=yes
Birth Place:	Mengyin County, Shandong, China
Alma Mater:	Chinese Academy of Sciences Shandong University
Module:	Child: yes Fields: Quantum physics Topological insulators Known For: quantum anomalous Hall effect Workplaces: Tsinghua University Awards: TWAS Prize (2010) Future Science Prize (2015) Oliver E. Buckley Prize (2024) Thesis1 Title: and Thesis2 Title: )--> Thesis1 Url: and Thesis2 Url: )--> Thesis1 Year: and Thesis2 Year: )-->

Xue Qikun (; born December 1963) is a Chinese physicist. He is a professor of Tsinghua University, Beijing. He has done much work in condensed matter physics, especially on superconductors and topological insulators.^[1] In 2013, Xue was the first to achieve the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), an unusual orderly motion of electrons in a conductor, in his laboratory at Tsinghua University. Xue is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, vice president for research of Tsinghua University, and director of State Key Lab of Quantum Physics.^[2] In 2016, he was one of the first recipients of the new Chinese Future Science Prize for experimental discovery of high-temperature superconductivity at material interfaces and the QAHE. This award has been described as "China's Nobel Prize".^{[3] [4]}

Career

Xue earned his PhD from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994.^[5] From 1994 to 2000, he worked as a research associate at Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Japan, and as a visiting assistant professor at the Physics Department of North Carolina State University, US. He became a professor at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 1999, and since 2005 has worked as a professor in the Physics Department of Tsinghua University. He is a partner investigator in Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies.^[6] In 2020, he became the president of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).^[7]

Research and achievements

Xue pioneered high quality thin films of topological insulators and, in 2013, first achieved the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), at Tsinghua University. Nobel Laureate Chen-Ning Yang called this discovery "worthy of a Nobel Prize".^[8] Xue's current research aims at preparation of low-dimensional structures exhibiting pronounced quantum phenomena, and understanding of growth dynamics and quantum mechanical effects on solid surfaces and in thin films,^[9] including:

• atomic-scale probing of surface electronic and magnetic properties by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy
• molecular beam epitaxial growth of novel quantum materials including low-dimensional and interface-related superconductivity and topological insulators
• quantum size effects in various low-dimensional structures
• study of electronic band structures of thin films using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and molecular beam epitaxy.
• exploration of novel quantum phenomena in materials with transport measurements
• development of new measurement techniques with high spatial and energy resolutions

Honors

• 2004, State Natural Science Second Class Award
• 2005, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 2010, TWAS Prize in Physics ^[10]
• 2011, State Natural Science Second Class Award
• 2011, Outstanding Scientific Research Team Award^[11]
• 2014, Outstanding Scientist Award^[12]
• 2016, Future Science Prize in physical science ^[13]
• 2020, Fritz London Memorial Prize for low-temperature physics^[14]
• 2024, Oliver E. Buckley Prize^{[15] [16]}

Selected papers

1. Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator^[17]
2. Superconductivity in One-Atomic-Layer Metal Films Grown on Si(111)^[18]
3. Superconductivity Modulated by Quantum Size Effects^[19]

References

Notes and References

1. Web site: IAS Channel. video.ust.hk. 2016-02-05.
2. Web site: 清华大学 - Tsinghua University. www.tsinghua.edu.cn. 2016-02-01.
3. Web site: First winners of 'China's Nobel' prize announced - China . Chinadaily.com.cn . 2022-06-21.
4. China-only science prize honours pathologist and experimental physicist. 10.1038/nature.2016.20644. 2016. Cyranoski. David. Nature. 114699291.
5. Web site: Qi-Kun Xue . Physics . 26 April 2020.
6. Web site: Qikun Xue. FLEET. 26 April 2020.
7. Web site: XUE Qikun - Leadership - SUSTech.
8. Web site: 系统提示.
9. Web site: Xue Group.
10. Web site: TWAS Announces 2010 Prize Winners. TWAS. 18 October 2010 . 2016-02-05.
11. Web site: Outstanding Scientific Research Team Award - Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Foundation. en.qiushi.org. 2016-02-05.
12. Web site: Outstanding Scientist Award - Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Foundation. www.qiushi.org. 2016-02-05.
13. Web site: QikunXue and Yuk-MingDennis Lo awarded the first Future Science Prize . www.futureprize.org/eng.
14. Web site: Chinese scientist wins int'l award for quantum discovery. https://web.archive.org/web/20200304021118/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-02/25/c_138817137.htm. dead. March 4, 2020. zinhua.net.com.
15. Web site: Tsinghua Professor Xue Qikun awarded Oliver E. Buckley Prize .
16. Web site: 2024 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize Recipient . American Physical Society . 2023-10-26.
17. Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator. Science. 2013-04-12. 0036-8075. 23493424. 167–170. 340. 6129. 10.1126/science.1234414. en. Cui-Zu. Chang. Jinsong. Zhang. Xiao. Feng. Jie. Shen. Zuocheng. Zhang. Minghua. Guo. Kang. Li. Yunbo. Ou. Pang. Wei. 1605.08829. 2013Sci...340..167C. 29455044.
18. Superconductivity in one-atomic-layer metal films grown on Si(111). Nature Physics. 2010-02-01. 1745-2473. 104–108. 6. 2. 10.1038/nphys1499. en. Tong. Zhang. Peng. Cheng. Wen-Juan. Li. Yu-Jie. Sun. Guang. Wang. Xie-Gang. Zhu. Ke. He. Lili. Wang. Xucun. Ma. 2010NatPh...6..104Z. free.
19. Superconductivity Modulated by Quantum Size Effects. Science. 2004-12-10. 0036-8075. 15591197. 1915–1917. 306. 5703. 10.1126/science.1105130. en. Yang. Guo. Yan-Feng. Zhang. Xin-Yu. Bao. Tie-Zhu. Han. Zhe. Tang. Li-Xin. Zhang. Wen-Guang. Zhu. E. G.. Wang. Qian. Niu. 2004Sci...306.1915G. 24040396.