One individual and three research groups have been honored with the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Awards for Outstanding S&T Achievements for 2007. CAS President Lu Yongxiang conferred the awards to the laureates at the closing ceremony of the Academy's annual work conference held on March 26 in Beijing.

The winners include Dr. Yang Xueming from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), the research group on national mega-science project EAST from the Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) under the CAS Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, the research group on selected problems at the frontiers of high field physics from the Institute of Physics (IoP), and the research group on advanced silicon-on-insulator materials from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT).

The following is a brief introduction to the laureates and their main contributions.

Dr. Yang Xueming from DICP has made an outstanding contribution to chemical reaction dynamics, especially the dynamics of quantized transition states and reaction resonances by using advanced molecular beam instruments developed at his own laboratory. With the help of versatile experimental methods such as H-atom Rydberg "tagging" TOF techniques, molecular beams, laser and ion imaging techniques, he and his colleagues investigated the dynamics of elementary bimolecular reactions and unimolecular dissociation processes at the quantum state-to-state level.

His research into the dynamics of quantized transition states and reaction resonances in elementary chemical reactions has advanced our understanding of chemical reactivity at the most fundamental level. With papers published in Science, Nature, PRL and JACS, Dr. Yang's work is well received worldwide. He was elected APS fellow in 2006, and his study on reaction resonance was selected by CAS members into China's top-ten S&T achievements (2006). Dr. Yang also plays a leading role in the development of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, an important international center for chemical dynamics research.

Focusing on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), a major national mega-science project, the IPP team has constructed the world's first full-superconducting tokamak fusion experimental device with noncircular section, whose major components (the superconductive magnet, large-scale refrigeration, etc.) were designed and manufactured by CAS scientists on their own, and obtained high-temperature plasma discharge with divertor configuration on the EAST.

Prof. Wan Yuanxi, general manager of the EAST project, headed the feasibility demonstration and advanced physical design, and put forward solutions to many technological problems. Weng Peide, deputy manager and general engineer, presided over the design of superconducting tokamak and the cryogenic system to successfully develop the biggest domestic 2kw/4.5K helium cryostat and cryogenic system by far. Participants of the project also include Li Jiangang, Gao Daming, Wu Songtao, Wan Baonian et al. EAST has won high praise from an international panel of renowned experts, saying the facilities is to exert sound impacts on the world's nuclear fusion research.

Headed by Prof. Zhang Jie, the IoP team has been carrying out cutting-edge research into high field physics (HFP). By renovating a series of unit technologies, the scientists developed high-performance power laser systems as well as various experimental diagnostic devices and numerical simulation codes to establish an HFP research platform.

They identified the transition processes of different absorption mechanisms for ultra-short intense lasers in plasma, and proposed new mechanisms of electron acceleration such as stochastic heating and acceleration.

The team also realized the collimated directional emission of fast electrons and its control. After testifying the focusing effect of a cone target, they worked out a new scheme in the fast ignition concept in laser fusion and on fast electrons to explain the phenomena of increased neutron yielding with cone target.

In addition, a new theory for high power THz emission was proposed and validated by experiment. Prof. Zhang, a member of CAS and of German Academy of Natural Sciences Leopoldina, serves the director of the Key Laboratory of Optical Physics. Sheng Zhengming, Zhang's colleague, is in charge of the theoretical and simulation research. Wei Zhiyi, Zhang's colleague, is in charge of the building and maintenance of the laser systems for HFP research. Other scholars involved are Li Yutong, Lu Xin, Dong Quanli et al.

Advanced silicon-on-insulator (SOI) materials and related technologies comes into the limelight of the microelectronics industry in recent years thanks to its unique features such as high speed, low power consumption and radiation hardness. The research team at SIMIT has carried out comprehensive and in-depth research and development on SOI materials technology, and realized the industrialization of SOI wafers.

First of all, the researchers studied the physical and chemical procedures of SOI structure by implanting extremely high dose of ions, making breakthroughs on key technologies for the commercialization of wafer products, for instance, the innovative SLD process studies to yield high quality SOI wafers at a low cost.

Secondly, the team invented an original technology dubbed "SIMBOND" combining both advantages of SIMOX and the conventional bonding technologies.

Thirdly, the radiation hardness of SOI materials was improved by ion modification, and materials with novel structure were developed to overcome its self-heating effect. Meanwhile, Shanghai Simgui Technology Co., Ltd. has been kicked off as a commercial spin-off of the Institute as well as an international supplier for high-end silicon materials.

In 2006, the SOI project was granted the first prize of State Science and Technology Award. Participants of the project are Wang Xi, Lin Chenglu, Chen Meng, Zhang Miao, Yu Yuehui, Zhang Feng et al.

The biennial awards were initiated in 2002 to recognize individual scientists and research teams for their significant achievements in S&T innovation. As a major reform of the CAS awarding system, it replaced three major prizes which had lasted for decades, highlighting researchers rather than the projects. Designed as an honorary title, its laureates are rewarded with no premium but a 90-gram gold medal.

After recommendation by CAS institutes and evaluation of an award jury, selection of the winners is finalized at the CAS president meeting.

Altogether, five scientists and eight research groups had won the Awards for 2003 and 2005. Individual laureates are mathematician Chen Xikang, pattern recognition expert Liu Yingjian, physicist Pan Jianwei, catalysis specialist Li Can and structural biologist Chang Wenrui.

Teamwork were awarded for precise measurement of R-value between 2-5 GeV, hybrid rice genome sequencing, Jehol Biota studies, R&D of Godson CPU, controlled growth and quantum engineering of nanostructures, constructing technologies of Qinghai-Tibet Railway, high performance computers and indirect coal liquefaction technologies.
 
Editor: Carolyn