“You don’t know where it will lead to, you just stake it step by step. Perseverance is the key,” says Professor Wang Yao, Chair Professor in the HKU Department of Physics, once likening his research to the experience of heading out on an unknown hiking trail.
This bold approach has turned out to be a rewarding one, as Professor Yao has received a Certificate of Merit at the Fourth National Award for Excellence in Innovation in recognition of his outstanding contributions to valley optoelectronics in two-dimensional semiconductors.
Professor Yao is an internationally renowned scholar in condensed matter physics and quantum materials. His research spans condensed matter physics, quantum physics and optics, with a current focus on two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures. His work has opened up an important research direction in exploiting the ‘valley’, a quantum degree of freedom of the electron, for future optoelectronic devices. His contributions in this area have been instrumental in advancing scientific understanding and paving the way for innovative applications.
“Fundamental research demands a special kind of courage – the willingness to venture where no maps exist,” said HKU President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Xiang Zhang. “As a fellow physicist, I am inspired by the endurance and intellectual spirit Professor Yao has shown in his work. This national recognition not only honours Professor Yao’s brilliance but also underscores HKU’s leading global position in fundamental scientific research. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of frontier exploration, contributing to technological transformation both nationally and globally.”
The National Award for Excellence in Innovation is jointly organised by the China Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. Held every three years, the award recognises science and technology teams and individuals who have made outstanding contributions in areas including basic research and frontier exploration, major equipment and engineering breakthroughs, technology transfer and innovation entrepreneurship, and social services. This award represents further acclaim for Professor Yao’s long-standing research achievements and academic influence in this frontier field. The award ceremony was held on May 30 at the National Communication Center for Science and Technology in Beijing.
On being presented with his award, Professor Yao said, “I am honoured to receive this recognition. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my team members, students, collaborators and fellow researchers for their continued support and efforts. Looking ahead, we will continue to advance research in quantum materials and contribute to the development of basic science and innovation technologies.”
Professor Yao received his Bachelor’s degree from Peking University in 2001 and his PhD in Physics from the University of California, San Diego in 2006. He joined HKU in 2008 and is currently Chair Professor in the Department of Physics. From 2018 to 2025, Professor Yao was named a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate for eight consecutive years. His outstanding achievements and contributions in physics have also received other prestigious awards. These include the Huang Kun Physics Award from the Chinese Physical Society and selection for Tencent’s New Cornerstone Investigator Program in 2023; the Xplorer Prize and 2021 (Ninth) Nishina Asia Award; the OCPA Achievement in Asia Award (Robert T Poe Prize) in 2014 from the International Organization of Chinese Physicists and Astronomers (OCPA); and the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship in 2020 and Croucher Innovation Award in 2013. He is currently a Fellow of the American Physical Society and Optica.
