Xue Qikun

Chinese physicist

In this Chinese name, the family name is  Xue.

Xue Qikun

薛其坤

Xue in 2023

President of Southern University of Science and Technology

Incumbent

Assumed office
November 2020
Preceded by| Chen Shiyi
Personal details
Born|  (1963-12-19) 19 December 1963 (age 61)
Mengyin County, Shandong, China
Alma mater| Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shandong University
Known for| quantum anomalous Hall effect
Awards| TWAS Prize (2010)
Future Science Prize (2015)
Oliver E. Buckley Prize (2024)
Scientific career
Fields| Quantum physics
Topological insulators
Institutions| Tsinghua University
Website| info.phys.tsinghua.edu.cn/xuegroup/

Xue Qikun (Chinese: 薛其坤; pinyin: Xuē Qíkūn; 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][2] 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.[3] 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".[4][5]

## Career

[edit]

Xue earned his PhD from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994.[6] 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.[7] In 2020, he became the president of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).[8]

## Research and achievements

[edit]

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".[9] 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,[10] 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

[edit]

* 2004, State Natural Science Second Class Award
* 2005, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
* 2010, TWAS Prize in Physics [11]
* 2011, State Natural Science Second Class Award
* 2011, Outstanding Scientific Research Team Award[12]
* 2014, Outstanding Scientist Award[13]
* 2016, Future Science Prize in physical science [14]
* 2017, Asian Scientist 100, Asian Scientist[15]
* 2020, Fritz London Memorial Prize for low-temperature physics[16]
* 2024, Oliver E. Buckley Prize[17][18]

## Selected papers

[edit]

1. Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator[19]
2. Superconductivity in One-Atomic-Layer Metal Films Grown on Si(111)[20]
3. Superconductivity Modulated by Quantum Size Effects[21]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ NTU-CTS (2013-09-26), Qikun Xue, Experiments on Topological Insulator and Quantum Anomalous Hall effect Part I, retrieved 2016-02-04
2. ^ "IAS Channel". video.ust.hk. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
3. ^ "清华大学 - Tsinghua University". www.tsinghua.edu.cn. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
4. ^ "First winners of 'China's Nobel' prize announced - China". Chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
5. ^ Cyranoski, David (2016). "China-only science prize honours pathologist and experimental physicist". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.20644. S2CID 114699291.
6. ^ "Qi-Kun Xue". Physics. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
7. ^ "Qikun Xue". FLEET. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
8. ^ "XUE Qikun - Leadership - SUSTech".
9. ^ "系统提示".
10. ^ "Xue Group".
11. ^ "TWAS Announces 2010 Prize Winners". TWAS. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
12. ^ "Outstanding Scientific Research Team Award - Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Foundation". en.qiushi.org. Retrieved 2016-02-05.[permanent dead link]
13. ^ "Outstanding Scientist Award - Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Foundation". www.qiushi.org. Retrieved 2016-02-05.[permanent dead link]
14. ^ "QikunXue and Yuk-MingDennis Lo awarded the first Future Science Prize". www.futureprize.org/eng.
15. ^ "The Asian Scientist 100". Asian Scientist. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
16. ^ "Chinese scientist wins int'l award for quantum discovery". zinhua.net.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020.
17. ^ "Tsinghua Professor Xue Qikun awarded Oliver E. Buckley Prize".
18. ^ "2024 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize Recipient". American Physical Society. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
19. ^ Chang, Cui-Zu; Zhang, Jinsong; Feng, Xiao; Shen, Jie; Zhang, Zuocheng; Guo, Minghua; Li, Kang; Ou, Yunbo; Wei, Pang (2013-04-12). "Experimental Observation of the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a Magnetic Topological Insulator". Science. 340 (6129): 167–170\. arXiv:1605.08829. Bibcode:2013Sci...340..167C. doi:10.1126/science.1234414. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 23493424. S2CID 29455044.
20. ^ Zhang, Tong; Cheng, Peng; Li, Wen-Juan; Sun, Yu-Jie; Wang, Guang; Zhu, Xie-Gang; He, Ke; Wang, Lili; Ma, Xucun (2010-02-01). "Superconductivity in one-atomic-layer metal films grown on Si(111)". Nature Physics. 6 (2): 104–108\. Bibcode:2010NatPh...6..104Z. doi:10.1038/nphys1499. ISSN 1745-2473.
21. ^ Guo, Yang; Zhang, Yan-Feng; Bao, Xin-Yu; Han, Tie-Zhu; Tang, Zhe; Zhang, Li-Xin; Zhu, Wen-Guang; Wang, E. G.; Niu, Qian (2004-12-10). "Superconductivity Modulated by Quantum Size Effects". Science. 306 (5703): 1915–1917\. Bibcode:2004Sci...306.1915G. doi:10.1126/science.1105130. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 15591197. S2CID 24040396.

Awards

Preceded by

Bai Yilong

|  Recipient of the Mathematical Science Award of the Chen Jiageng Science Award [zh]
2012  | Succeeded by

Wang Enge

Educational offices
Preceded by

Chen Shiyi

|  President of Southern University of Science and Technology
2020–present  | Incumbent

* v
* t
* e

Highest Science and Technology Award laureates

* 2000 Yuan Longping / Wu Wenjun
* 2001 Wang Xuan / Huang Kun
* 2002 Jin Yilian
* 2003 Liu Dongsheng / Wang Yongzhi
* 2004
* 2005 Ye Duzheng / Wu Mengchao
* 2006 Li Zhensheng
* 2007 Min Enze / Wu Zhengyi
* 2008 Wang Zhongcheng / Xu Guangxian
* 2009 Gu Chaohao / Sun Jiadong
* 2010 Shi Changxu / Wang Zhenyi
* 2011 Xie Jialin / Wu Liangyong
* 2012 Zheng Zhemin / Wang Xiaomo
* 2013 Zhang Cunhao / Cheng Kaijia
* 2014 Yu Min
* 2015
* 2016 Zhao Zhongxian / Tu Youyou
* 2017 Wang Zeshan / Hou Yunde
* 2018 Liu Yongtan / Qian Qihu
* 2019 Huang Xuhua / Zeng Qingcun
* 2020 Wang Dazhong/ Gu Songfen
* 2023 Li Deren/ Xue Qikun

Authority control databases

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Academics|

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