Professor Lu Yalin, male, born in May 1964 in Rugao County-level City, Jiangsu Province, is a distinguished chair professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He currently serves as the Special Assistant to the President of USTC, Director of the Anhui Laboratory of Advanced Photon Science and Technology, Chair of the National Major Research Plan for Frontier Research Based on Major Scientific Facilities of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and leader of several national major infrastructure and national major instrument research projects. He is a recipient of the First Prize of National Natural Science Award (2006), a pioneer in the first batch of the National Recruitment Program of Overseas High-level Talents and the first batch of National Specially-Appointed Experts (2008), a foreign member of the Slovenian Academy of Engineering, and a member of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. He has also held positions such as the Director of the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Deputy Director of the Hefei Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Director of the Key Laboratory of Materials Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Executive Director of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at USTC.
In 1991, Professor Lu earned a Ph.D. in condensed matter physics from Nanjing University, where he conducted research on optical and acoustic superlattices under Professor Min Naiben. His work on using periodically inverted ferroelectric domains to achieve quasi-phase matching in nonlinear optics, expanding the frequency range for phase matching and effectively generating blue-green light, addressed the challenge of growing large single crystals of niobium (tantalum) lithium optical and acoustic superlattices. He was the first to develop an efficient miniature solid-state blue laser, which earned him and Professor Min the First Prize of National Natural Science Award in 2006 and the Outstanding Achievement Award in Jiangsu Province. In 1996, he joined the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) in the United States and later held teaching positions at Tufts University, the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), while also serving as an AFOSR project manager. He was dedicated to the research of functional materials and advanced characterization technologies. His research during this period included pioneering the first PMN-PT transparent electro-optic ceramics commercialized by the optical communications industry, inventing a nonlinear microwave near-field scanning microscope widely used in dielectric materials research, and advancing metamaterials for terahertz devices and new energy applications. His works were included in the 2000 R&D 100 of R&D Magazine, and he received multiple annual outstanding achievement awards from the AFA and AF research awards.
In 2008, Professor Lu was selected into the first batch of the National Recruitment Program of Overseas High-level Talents and the first batch of National Specially-Appointed Experts. He returned to China at the end of 2011 and, leveraging his background and the strategic needs of China, made significant contributions in several areas:
1. Targeting the frontier of quantum functional materials, he created a new system of multi-parameter composite single-phase quantum functional materials.
2. Focusing on critical technologies in physical property characterization and the Terahertz Gap and X-ray imaging, he invented the most compact pre-bunched terahertz free electron laser (FEL) and high-sensitivity, high-integration terahertz near-field scanning microscopy techniques. He established mid-to-far-infrared free electron lasers and developed the world's first high-energy large-field phase contrast imaging CT.
3. Leading the comprehensive upgrade of China's first dedicated synchrotron radiation source, the Hefei Light Facility, he proposed and promoted the Hefei Advanced Light Facility and the airland integrated quantum precision measurement projects, securing their place as national major scientific infrastructure projects. During this period, he won the Tang Lixin Outstanding Scholar Award twice (2011, 2018). He was elected as one of the first foreign communication fellows of the Slovenian Academy of Engineering in 2018, and an official candidate for the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences in 2020.
He has published over 480 papers in journals such as Science, Nature Nanotechnology, and PNAS, authored/co-authored 6 English monographs/chapters, held over 80 Chinese, American, and Japanese invention patents/over 25 patent applications, and given over 110 invited conference/plenary reports. He has served as a chairman for nearly 30 international academic conferences/plenaries such as MRS, and a deputy editor/editorial board member for journals such as Sci China Mater. He has led 46 projects in the US and China, with a cumulative funding of nearly 1 billion RMB. Professor Lu has also founded three companies in the US and served as a project manager and R&D manager at Corning and Thermo Electron, gaining extensive experience in high-tech enterprise R&D and project management.
Engineering Experience and Achievements
1. General Manager of the Major Upgrade Project of Hefei Light Facility (Aug. 2014 – Jan. 2016), completing the construction and acceptance of Hefei Light Facility II in July 2018, and ensuring efficient operation and accessibility.
2. General Manager of the Pre-research Project of Hefei Advanced Light Facility (July 2017 - June 2019), applying and implementing the Pre-research Project of Hefei Advanced Light Facility and efficiently advancing its construction planning.
3. Deputy Director of the Special Project of Major Instrument of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Large Experimental Device for Energy Chemistry Research Based on Tunable Infrared Laser and Leader of the Infrared Free Electron Laser Light Source Project (Aug. 2014 - June 2019), constructing the first mid-to-far-infrared free electron laser device in China.
4. General Manager of the Special Project of Major Instrument of the Ministry of Finance, Next Generation High-contrast Low-dose X-ray Phase Contrast CT Device, developing the world's first high-energy large-field phase contrast imaging CT, which is included in the CAS Major Scientific Infrastructure Management System.
5. General Manager of the Special Project of Major Instrument of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Terahertz Near-field High-throughput Material Property Testing System, building a terahertz free electron laser and a distinctive terahertz research platform, proposing the SuperT device, and incorporating it into the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center.
6. General Manager of the CAS Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project, High-brightness Small-spot X-ray Light Source Development.
7. Leading the promotion of the national major scientific infrastructure project Airland Integrated Quantum Precision Measurement Experiment as the General Manager, and incorporating it into the national 14th Five-Year Plan for facility construction.
Academic Titles
· Chief Scientist of the 973 Program and National Major Scientific Research Program on Quantum Regulation of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
· Expert and Leader of the Special Project on Frontier Research Based on Major Scientific Facilities of the Ministry of Science and Technology.
· Leader of the Special Project of National Major Scientific Instruments of the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
· General Manager of the Major Upgrade Project of Hefei Light Facility (Hefei Light Facility II) (2014-2016).
· Leader of the Leadership Group of Infrared Free Electron Laser Light Source Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (2014-2019).
· General Manager of the Pre-research Project of Hefei Advanced Light Facility (2017-2019).
· Leader of the Special Project of National Major Scientific Instruments of the Ministry of Finance.
· General Manager of the National Major Scientific and Technological Infrastructure Project Airland Integrated Quantum Precision Measurement (from 2021).
Science and Technology Awards
1. February 27, 2007: First Prize of the National Natural Science Award (4th Place): Design, Preparation, Performance, and Application of Dielectric Superlattice Materials.
2. April 11, 2019: Second Prize of Anhui Provincial Natural Science Award (2nd Place): Design, Modification, and Performance Regulation of Key Materials for Solar Photovoltaic Conversion Interface.
3. October 2007: Jiangsu Provincial Government Award.
4. October 2007: Outstanding Achievement Award of Nanjing University.
5. May 2008: Title of Outstanding Overseas Talent of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
6. November 2011: Tang Lixin Outstanding Scholar Award, for contributions to the development of superstructure solar cells.
7. November 2018: Tang Lixin Outstanding Scholar Award, for contributions to the development of compact terahertz free electron lasers.
8. January 2000: R&D 100 of R&D Magazine, for pioneering research in materials combination growth and high-throughput characterization technology.
9. December 2020: Major results of the Special Project of Frontier Research Based on Major Scientific Facilities of the Ministry of Science and Technology recommended to the nation, for achieving large-scale synthesis and detection of artificial skyrmions.
10. In 2017 and 2018: Twice awarded the Second Prize of the Major Scientific and Technological Infrastructure Comprehensive Operation by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (as a facility leader), for achieving the best operational and open access level among similar international facilities with the Hefei Light Facility.
Academic Honors
1. January 1, 2019: First Batch of Foreign Academicians of Slovenia.
2. November 14, 2020: Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences.
3. April 5, 2009: First Batch of the National Recruitment Program of Overseas High-level Talents and First Batch of National Specially-Appointed Experts (2008).
4. January 2011: SPIE Senior Member.
5. December 23, 2011: Director of the 8th Chinese Ceramic Society.
6. August 2014: Director of the 10th and 11th Chinese Physical Society and Chairman of the 5th Synchrotron Radiation Professional Committee, Vice Chairman of the 6th Synchrotron Radiation Professional Committee.
7. December 2017: Member of the Materials Genome Engineering Field Committee of the China Materials and Testing Group Standards Committee.
8. 2015 - Present: Member of the Scientific Committees of several major scientific facilities such as Beijing High Energy Photon Source, Shanghai Hard X-ray Free Electron Laser, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Dongguan Spallation Neutron Source, and Shenzhen Photon Source.
Educational Background
1. September 1981 - July 1985: Bachelor’s Degree in Inorganic Non-metallic Materials from Wuhan University of Technology.
2. September 1985 - July 1988: Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Zhejiang University.
3. September 1988 - July 1991: Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from Nanjing University.
4. January 2002 - June 2003: Certificate in Business Management from Northeastern University, USA.
Academic Experience
1. July 1991 - May 1996: Lecturer in Condensed Matter Physics and Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering of Nanjing University.
2. May 1996 - May 1998: Visiting Professor at the Materials Sciences Division (MSD) of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL).
3. March 1997 - August 2000: Assistant Professor of Tufts University, Deputy Director of the Electro-optic Technology Center (EOTC).
4. August 2000 - September 2001: Project Manager of the Optical Communications Components R&D Department of Corning Incorporated.
5. September 2001 - July 2003: Director of R&D Department at the Headquarters of Thermo Electron, Head of the ICP Spectrometer Product Plan.
6. July 2003 - December 2011: Professor of Physics of United States Air Force Academy (AFA), Deputy Director of the Laser Research Center, concurrently Project Manager of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
7. October 2003 - December 2011: Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering of University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), Head of the Dielectric Materials Laboratory.
8. April 2009 - Present: National Overseas High-level Talent, National Specially-Appointed Expert, and Distinguished Chair Professor of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
9. July 2009 - July 2014: Executive Director of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, USTC.
10. January 2010 - January 2015: Director of the Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
11. July 2010 - Present: Director of the Application R&D Department of the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, and Director of the International Terahertz Photonics Center.
12. September 2011 - June 2020: Deputy Director of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Hefei Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, promoting the establishment of the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center.
13. May 2012 - Present: Director of the Quantum Materials and Devices Research Department of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Technology Frontiers of the Ministry of Education.
14. August 2014 - June 2019: Director of the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory.
15. February 2018 - Present: Director of the Anhui Laboratory of Advanced Photonic Science and Technology.
16. June 2019 - Present: Special Assistant to the President of USTC, assisting in the management of the Comprehensive Science Center.
17. July 2017 - Present: Director of the Engineering and Technical Support Department of the CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics.
18. December 2020 - Present: Director of the Engineering and Technical Department of the Hefei National Laboratory.
19. August 2014 - January 2016: General Manager of the Major Upgrade and Renovation Project of Hefei Light Facility, USTC, passing national acceptance in January 2016.
20. December 2017 - June 2019: General Manager of the Pre-research Project of Hefei Advanced Light Facility, USTC, passing acceptance in 2020.
21. August 2014 - June 2019: Deputy Leader of the Special Project of Major Instrument of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Large Experimental Device for Energy Chemistry Research Based on Tunable Infrared Laser and Leader of the Infrared Free Electron Laser Light Source Project, USTC, first light achieved in June 2019.
22. August 2014 - January 2020: Leader of the Special Project of Major Instrument of National Development and Reform Commission, Next Generation High-contrast Low-dose X-ray Phase Contrast CT Device, USTC, passing national acceptance in January 2020.
23. January 2016 - Present: Leader of the Special Project of Major Instrument of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Terahertz Near-field High-throughput Material Property Testing System, USTC.
24. January 2012 - December 2016: Chief Scientist of the National Major Research Program on Quantum Regulation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Multi-parameter Processes and Effects in Oxide Composite Quantum Functional Materials, USTC.
Academic Society Positions
· Expert in the Strategic Planning Research Committee for the Future Development of Major Scientific Infrastructure of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
· Deputy Leader of the Materials Group in the Strategic Planning Committee for Major Scientific Facilities of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
· Member of the Scientific Committees of several major scientific facilities such as the Beijing High Energy Photon Source, Shanghai Hard X-ray Free Electron Laser, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Dongguan Spallation Neutron Source, and Shenzhen Photon Source
· Director of the Quantum Materials and Devices Research Department of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Technology Frontiers of the Ministry of Education
· Co-Director of the Public Technology Department of the CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics
· Review Expert for the Third and Fourth Hong Kong Qiushi Science & Technologies Foundation
· Review Expert for various talent programs (e.g., Chang Jiang Scholars) and scientific research projects (e.g., 973 Program, Key Special Projects, Special Projects of Major Instrument) for the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and Anhui Province
· Chief Editor of the “Materials Genome Engineering Series”
· Director of the Chinese Physical Society, Chair of the Synchrotron Radiation Professional Committee
· Director of the 8th Chinese Ceramic Society in 2011
· Senior Member of SPIE, Member of PIERS, IEEE, OSA, APS, and MRS
· Science and Technology Expert of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality
· Member of the Materials Genome Engineering Field Committee of the China Materials and Testing Group Standards Committee
· Completed four training sessions at the Party School of the Central Committee of C.P.C
· Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member of journals such as Nanoscale Research Letters, Science China Materials, Advances in Optoelectronics, Physical Science International Journal, Contemporary Engineering Sciences, International Journal of Power Devices and Components for Smart Devices, Journal of the Chinese Ceramic Society, and Nanomaterials
Academic Conferences
· Served as a committee member, session chair, and session organizer for more than 20 important international academic conferences and special academic symposiums, including MRS, SPIE, META, and PIERS. Served as the conference chair for the following academic conferences in recent years:
-- Co-chair of the 2nd National Conference on Optoelectronic, Photonic Materials and Devices (2021)
-- Workshop on Coherent Light Source and Sciences (CLSS) 2018
-- First Workshop on Coherent Light Source and Sciences (CLSS) (2017)
-- Workshop on Coherent Light Source and Sciences (CLSS) 2017
-- Second International Workshop on Soft X-ray Applications Based on Diffraction-Limited Storage Ring (2016)
-- 16th National Academic Conference on Crystal Growth and Materials (2012)
-- First International Symposium on Nano Carbon Materials (2013)
-- Fourth Cross-Strait Academic Symposium on Synchrotron Radiation (2016)
-- China Advanced Functional Materials Genome Technology Summit Forum (2013)
-- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory Users’ Annual Meeting (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
-- First to Third USTC-PolyU-SICCAS Symposium on Advanced Materials for Energy Conversion (2011, 2012, 2013)
-- First International Symposium on Energy Conversion Materials and Devices (2014)
-- The 1st UNIST-HCPST (USTC, CASHIPS) Joint Workshop on Nanomaterials and Their Applications to Energy Conversion and Storage (2013)