The opening ceremony of the 2025 Tengchong Scientists Forum was grandly held at the Tengchong Science Hall, where the highly anticipated 2025 Tengchong Science Award was formally unveiled on 6 December, This year's recipient of the Tengchong Science Award is Academician Jian-wei Pan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China.

Reason for Award

For his pioneering experimental work in multi-particle interferometry and free-space quantum teleportation, which has made globally secure quantum communication and the superiority of quantum computing a realistic possibility.

Description of Laureate's Achievements

In quantum communication research, Jian-wei Pan and his colleagues eliminated security vulnerabilities caused by imperfect light sources and detectors, enabling the practical application of quantum communication. To realise wide-area quantum networks, Pan's team constructed the world's first metropolitan quantum entanglement network, establishing fundamental building blocks for scalable quantum networks and laying foundations for long-distance fibre-optic quantum networks. They successfully developed the world's first quantum science experiment satellite, Micius, achieving pioneering satellite-to-ground quantum communication spanning thousands of kilometres, thereby validating the feasibility of global quantum communication and quantum networks. In quantum computing research, Pan and colleagues developed the Jiuzhang series of optical quantum computing prototypes and the Zu Chongzhi series of superconducting quantum computing prototypes, whose problem-solving capabilities surpass those of supercomputers for specific tasks. This achievement positions China as the first nation to reach the milestone of quantum supremacy in both physical systems. Significant advances have been made in ultracold atom quantum simulation research, laying the foundation for utilising quantum simulators to address critical scientific challenges in fields such as ultracold quantum chemistry, high-temperature superconductivity mechanisms, and topological states of matter–problems beyond the capabilities of classical computers.

Award Recipient Profile

Jian-Wei Pan is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), a foreign member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society (London), and a Distinguished Chair Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China. His research focuses on quantum optics, quantum information, and quantum foundations. His work has been selected among the“Top Ten Scientific Advances in China”by the Chinese academies, as well as the“Features of the year”chosen by《Nature》, the“Breakthrough of the year”rated by《Science》,“Highlights of year”selected by the American Physical Society and the“Breakthrough of the year”selected by the Institute of Physics.

He has received numerous honors, including the Qiu Shi Outstanding Scientist Award, Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Awardfor Scientific and Technological Achievements, the First Class Awardof the State Natural Science Award, the Future Science Awardin Physical Sciences, the Fresnel Awardof the European Physical Society, the International Quantum Award from the International Conference for Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing, the R. W. Wood Awardfrom the OSA, the Micius Quantum Award, and the Zeiss Research Award from Carl Zeiss AG, among others. He was awarded the National Medal for Innovation and Excellence in 2017, and received the Medal for Pioneering Reform in 2018.

A beam of light illuminates science's distant horizons; An accolade honours steadfast dedication! Once again, congratulations to Academician Pan Jianwei on receiving the 2025 Tengchong Science Award. Through intellectual inquiry into frontiers and achievements that benefit the world, he has raised the torch of science to illuminate humanity's path forward. May scientists continue their steadfast journey through the vast expanse of scientific exploration, scaling new heights in research to produce more world-leading original discoveries. May they guide future technological advancement and compose further chapters of innovation.