World's leading quantum scientist Pan Jianwei becomes first Chinese scientist to win top UN basic science prize

Pan and Sergei S. Sheiko, a chemistry professor at the University of North Carolina in the U.S., were named the two laureates of the prize's third edition, according to a UNESCO announcement published on July 10.

Established in 2019, the UNESCO-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences recognizes breakthrough discoveries and outstanding innovations in fundamental science with transformative socioeconomic impact while promoting scientific progress, public engagement and international cooperation. Funded by the Russian government, the award is presented annually to two scientists.

Pan, 56, is a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is widely regarded as one of the world's leading researchers in quantum optics, quantum communication and quantum computing, according to China Daily.

UNESCO recognized him for his "seminal contributions to large-scale secure quantum communications and scalable quantum computation."

Chinese quantum scientist Pan Jianwei. Photo from The Royal Society

Pan leads the USTC team behind Jiuzhang 4.0, China's latest photonic quantum computer.

The team has also demonstrated quantum computational advantage. In May, it reported completing a computational task in just 25 microseconds that it estimated would take El Capitan, the world's most powerful supercomputer in the U.S., more than 10 to the power of 42 years, far longer than the age of the universe, to perform the same task, according to the South China Morning Post.

His team also developed Micius, the world’s first quantum satellite, launched in 2016, enabling quantum key distribution and quantum teleportation across thousands of kilometers. The project marked a major step toward building a global quantum communication network.

USTC said Pan's latest honor "highlights China's international leading position in the cutting-edge fields of quantum communication and quantum computing, and is also a high affirmation of China's strength in basic scientific research." The university noted that he is the first Chinese scientist to receive the award.

Earlier this month, Pan received the IEEE Photonics Society Quantum Electronics Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world's largest technical professional organization, for his "pioneering work on single photon sources and optical quantum computing."