Quantum Leap: HKUST Physicist Awarded HKD 5 Million
To Unlock Secrets of "Perfect" Materials and Revolutionize Energy Tech
Prof. SONG Xueyang, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Award for her groundbreaking research in theoretical condensed matter physics. Her research promises to revolutionize energy-efficient technologies by designing materials with unprecedented control over electricity and heat. Prof. Song will receive HKD 5 million in funding from the Croucher Foundation to support her future research.
The “Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Award”, one of the Croucher Foundation's top honors, recognizes Hong Kong's brightest young scientific minds poised to make significant breakthroughs. Recipients are selected for their distinguished doctoral work, internationally competitive research, and high-impact contributions to their fields.
Decoding the Quantum World for a Sustainable Future
Prof. Song's research focuses on "decoding" quantum materials – substances with bizarre properties like superconductivity and the ability to make particles behave as fractions of themselves. Specializing in quantum materials like frustrated quantum magnets, fractional quantum Hall states, and exotic superconductors, Prof. Song investigates emergent phenomena such as fractionalization and gauge structures. Her research employs cutting-edge frameworks of symmetry, anomaly, and topology to decode physical properties and phase transitions in advanced materials, particularly in 2D systems (e.g., Moiré system). By combining formal theoretical tools, analytical models with computational simulations, she bridges fundamental physics with real-world applications, including energy-efficient materials and novel devices.
Award Fuels Quantum Material Innovation
"I am incredibly honored and excited to receive the Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Award," said Prof. Song. "This vital support allows us to tackle bold, curiosity-driven science. My goal is to demystify these quantum behaviors – to understand why some materials can conduct electricity or heat with such astonishing efficiency or nonintuitive manner. By cracking these codes, we can design new materials from the ground up, paving the way for transformative, energy-saving technologies that could impact everything from consumer electronics to power grids."
From Physics Olympiad Gold to Quantum Frontier
Dr. Song's journey in physics began with a gold medal at the 14th Asian Physics Olympiad. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Peking University and a PhD in physics from Harvard University. Before joining HKUST, she was a Moore Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT.
For further details about Prof. Song Xueyang’s research and the potential impact of her work, please visit this link:
https://physics.hkust.edu.hk/people/xueyang-song-songxueyang
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class university that excels in driving innovative education, research excellence, and impactful knowledge transfer. With a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy approach, HKUST was ranked 3rd in the Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2024, 19th Worldwide and No.1 in Hong Kong in Times Higher Education’s Impact Rankings. Thirteen HKUST subjects were ranked among the world’s top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with “Data Science and Artificial Intelligence” holding the 17th place, maintaining its position as first in Hong Kong. Our graduates are highly competitive, consistently ranking among the world’s top 30 most sought-after employees. In terms of research and entrepreneurship, over 80% of our work was rated “Internationally excellent” or “world leading” in the latest Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee. As of May 2025, HKUST members have founded over 1,800 active start-ups, including 10 Unicorns and 17 exits (IPO or M&A).
For media enquiries, please contact:
Gloria Tang
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: gloriatang@ust.hk
Megan Chick
Tel: 3469 3153
Email: meganchick@ust.hk
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