ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Micius, developed by Pan’s team, is the world’s first quantum science CROSSING satellite. PHYSICS USTC has one of the most comprehensive individual proteins in living cells in real the understanding of glass transition from a physical science portfolios in China. Its School time. solid-state perspective. They discovered two- ©USTC PHYSICAL of Physical Sciences studies small particles The USTC team, led by CAS member Guo dimensional melting and were the first to and atoms, as well as astronomical bodies Guangcan, has focused on technologies for observe octagonal soft quasicrystals in high- and the universe, covering everything from quantum cryptography, quantum chips and density systems of soft-core particles. Using theoretical physics to photonics engineering, simulators. They simultaneously observed both novel biophysics tools, researchers have and from microelectronics to biophysics. the particle and wave natures of photons in measured the switching dynamics of flagellar Many of its programmes were established experiments, challenging the complementarity motors, which propel many bacteria. Their as USTC was founded, in 1958, by renowned principle proposed by Bohr. Their achievements results are published in high-profile journals, scientists of the time, such as Yan Jici and also include developing China’s first fibre such as Physical Review Letters and Nature BOUNDARIES n Qian Sanqiang. Today, USTC has integrated quantum key system; entangling eight photons Physics. The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has forged an excellent its physical science strengths and established using ultra-bright photon sources; and creating reputation for basic research in physical sciences. Now it is integrating those strengths to advanced research platforms, including Hefei the solid-state quantum memory with the develop exciting cross-disciplinary innovations. National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the world’s best performance. Computational Microscale (HFNL), the National Synchrotron Particle and nuclear physics explores geometry High-temperature studies by USTC Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), and key composition and interactions at the sub- mathematicians laboratories of the state, the Chinese Academy atomic scale. The State Key Laboratory of superconductivity have applications of Sciences(CAS) and the province. With these Particle Detection and Electronics at USTC in 3D printing. MATHEMATICS platforms, the school has achieved remarkable provides leading technologies in support of the Mathematics, as the foundation of many physical science subjects, is the bedrock of research results, particularly in quantum development of the field. Its researchers have USTC’s development. The university reorganized its maths department into the School communication and computation, super- contributed to some major breakthroughs of Superconductors, able to transmit electricity of Mathematical Sciences (SMS) in 2011, which is now a leader in China’s mathematical conductivity, and single-molecular physics. the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy with no energy loss, are sought-after materials research and education. A research group led by Pan Jianwei, a Ion Collider (RHIC) in the Brookhaven National in many fields, ranging from information The school’s outstanding mathematicians are exploring new possibilities CAS member, seeks to apply basic theories Laboratory, including developing the time-of- technology to biomedicine. However, the in algebra and algebraic geometry, differential geometry, graph theory, in quantum mechanics into quantum flight spectrometer that increases the particle low transition temperature has limited their dynamic systems, mathematical physics, partial differential equations, and communication, computation and precision identification reach, discovering the anti- applications. Breakthroughs by a joint team probability and statistics. Their research results have important implications measurement. Notably, Pan’s research on the helium-4, the heaviest antimatter nucleus, from USTC and the Institute of Physics (IOP) to many physical science and engineering fields. Based on theories such entanglement of photons has provided a possible and measuring antiproton interactions. Other at CAS have raised the transition temperature as spline functions, geometric modelling and sparsity optimization, solution to secure long-distance communication, projects include work on the Higgs boson considerably, shedding light on more efficient the computational geometry group has developed a series of novel promoting its real-world application. To achieve particle discovery, and constructing the Beijing power transmission. algorithms and methods for cost-effective 3D printing, light-weight and inter-continental quantum communication, Pan Spectrometer III detector. USTC researchers, led by CAS member interlocking structure designs, shape decomposition, and customized led the development and launch of Micius, the In plasma physics, a 20-plus member Chen Xianhui, with their IOP colleagues, have mechanical structure design. These works, published in top journals, world’s first quantum science satellite, a success USTC group has established the Keda Torus identified a new family of high-temperature have also led to patented technologies, making an impact in both in all planned experiments. By manipulating eXperiment (KTX), China’s only reversed field superconductors in iron-based materials, the academic community and the fabrication industry. multi-photon entanglement, the core of pinch (RFP) device that magnetically confines which are normally considered poor Other breakthroughs by SMS mathematicians include: quantum computation, Pan’s group has also plasma. Designed and built entirely in China, conductors. They achieved superconductivity introducing Higgs de-Rham flow, a fundamental notion in tested all the major quantum algorithms, and KTX has high Ohmic power, high beta ratio, and at a transition temperature of 55K, raising arithmetic and algebraic geometry, which supports use of the developed the first photon-quantum computer automatically maintains magnet-heat balance. the critical temperature well above 40K at Hodge theory; establishing the connection between dynamic prototype which outperforms early-generation The device facilitates cutting-edge fusion ambient pressure for the first time. The team systems and combinatorial number theory by finding relations classical computers. research and theoretical and experimental also synthesized a series of novel iron-based among the set of common differences of arithmetic progressions USTC work has improved computing power by research on three-dimensional toroidal physics. superconducting materials, including an air- in a ‘big’ subset of integers and higher-order, almost automorphic considerably lengthening the state of quantum Its size and function also make KTX an ideal stable iron selenide superconductor. systems; proving the Bando-Siu conjecture in differential superposition, or the coherence time, of electron platform for training researchers on nuclear These achievements won Chen the first geometry; and deriving Gaussian curvature estimates for the spin in a noisy environment. The team, led fusion. prize of the National Natural Science Award in convex level sets of p-harmonic functions. by CAS member, Du Jiangfeng, realised the The USTC foray into soft matter and 2013 and the 2015 Bernd T. Matthias Prize for Works by SMS scholars have led to around 150 papers prolonged quantum states through pioneering biophysics covers everything from non-crystal Superconducting Materials. published each year in journals listed in the Science Citation decoupling technology, which they also applied solids, quasi-crystal and crystallization to Index (SCI), including top journals of the field, such as Annals for quantum precision measurement. Using the dynamics of bacterial behaviour and flagellar of Mathematics and Inventiones Mathematicae, and numerous diamond nitrogen-vacancy centre as a probe, motors. This area uses physics to solve national awards. Several USTC mathematicians have been invited in a world first, they obtained the paramagnetic biological questions and is integral to USTC’s to address the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM). resonance spectra of single protein molecules in interdisciplinary efforts. SMS also regularly hosts mathematicians from around the world, room-temperature environment and disclosed Using simulation and theoretical analysis, and organizes national and international conferences to promote the underling kinetic properties. This was hailed USTC researchers have studied the structure global exchange. n ©USTC LIBRARY/GETTY IMAGES ©KTSDESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO as an important milestone toward imaging of non-crystal solids, or glass, allowing for USTC | 60th ANNIVERSARY Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content 60th ANNIVERSARY | USTC ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE GEOSCIENCE Hefei National Earth and space sciences are a traditional strength at USTC. Original departments of applied geophysics, Laboratory for geochemistry and rare elements, established at the Physical Sciences at founding of the university, were integrated into the School Single- of Earth and Space Sciences (SESS) in 2001. The school molecule the Microscale exploits the brilliance of USTC resources in physics, Raman imaging chemistry and other fields for further development.