Chinese Scientist Makes History with Multiple Prestigious Awards

Physicist Xue Qikun from Tsinghua University has become the first Chinese scientist to win the United States' prestigious Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize. Xue and Harvard University's Ashvin Vishwanath were jointly awarded for their groundbreaking work on topological insulators, a class of materials with unique electronic properties. Xue's research focuses on synthesizing topological insulators for low-energy consumption electronics. Despite increasing sanctions on China's hi-tech sector, there are calls for stronger collaboration with Chinese researchers. Xue's achievements include being elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and conducting the first Nobel Prize-level physics experiment in a Chinese lab.