The university received eight Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) from the Ministry of Education (MoE) in 2014, including two first-class awards and five second-class awards in Natural Sciences, as well as one first-class award in Scientific and Technological Progress, again making it the institution receiving the highest number of awards in the local tertiary sector. Prof. Jianbin Xu, Professor; Prof. Hon-ki Tsang, Chairman; Dr. Kun Chen, Dr. Zhenzhou Cheng and Dr. Xi Wan, Post-doctoral Fellows; as well as former PhD students Dr. Xiaomao Wang and Dr. Xiao-qing Tian, Department of Electronic Engineering have received a second-class award in Natural Sciences. The award-winning project by the engineering research team is Interface engineering for graphene transistors and photodetectors: Graphene is an atomically-thin 2-dimensional layered material of carbon with exceptionally superior electronic, optical, mechanical, thermal, as well as chemical properties. A collaborative research project led by Prof. Jian-Bin Xu and a partner from Jinan University (Guangzhou) has successfully yielded a new device with graphene for detecting light in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral region. This groundbreaking work is expected to enable a new generation of high efficiency, low cost, and highly integrated mid-IR detectors, paving the way for applications of mid-IR spectroscopy in environmental and biomedical engineering. Moreover, the team has developed a new synthesis route for producing high-quality large-area graphene from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which is a unique synthetic approach. The key techniques involved in graphene synthesis, transfer and interface can be further applied to other 2-dimensional layered materials for achieving novel electronic and photoelectric devices. About Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards The Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) is set up by the MoE to recognize outstanding research projects at all tertiary institutions in mainland China. Since 2009, Hong Kong's tertiary institutions have been included in the scheme. The award is presented to individuals or units who have made remarkable contributions in the areas of scientific discovery, technological innovation, science and technology advancement and implementation of patented technologies. The Natural Sciences Award honours researchers who have made discoveries in natural science and applied science, or given explanations to natural phenomena and characteristics; the Technology Advancement Award honours research achievements in applied technologies of natural science. |
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