Professor Denver Li Danfeng, from the Department of Physics at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), was honoured with this year’s Chen Ning Yang Award (C. N. Yang Award) for his groundbreaking discovery and synthesis of the first nickel oxide (nickelate) superconductors.

Professor Li is one of three awardees this year and the sole awardee from Hong Kong, solidifying his exceptional contribution to the field of physics research. 

The C. N. Yang Award, jointly conferred by the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) and the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), is dedicated to celebrating young researchers who have made a significant contribution to the field of physics. It aims to foster the development of future leaders in physics in the Asia Pacific region and propel scientific progress on a global scale. 

“I feel very privileged to receive the C. N. Yang Award. It recognises the commitment to pursue excellence in solving key scientific challenges of our team. I appreciate CityU for providing tremendous support and resources for fundamental research and technological development in the field of quantum physics,” said Professor Li.

Professor Li’s main research interests span condensed-matter physics and materials science, focusing on the atomic-scale fabrication of oxide heterostructures and nanomembranes, the kinetic-based synthesis of unconventional quantum materials, low-dimensional superconductivity, oxide interfaces for emergent states, and so forth. It has long been argued that superconductivity might not exist in nickelate compounds. But in 2019, Professor Li discovered the first nickelate superconductor, which had been a continuous target of materials search for over three decades, through the creation of infinite-layer thin-film nickelates.

Since the discovery, nickelates have been regarded the latest example of the unwavering commitment to finding an analogue to high-temperature superconducting copper oxides (cuprates). As a result of Professor Li’s discovery, a breakthrough was recently achieved with the discovery of superconductivity reaching 80 Kelvin in a single-crystalline nickelate under high pressure, making nickelates a new material class in the club of high-temperature superconductors.

Professor Li’s pioneering work on nickelate superconductors has opened new frontiers in the field of condensed matter physics research, which holds great promise for practical applications in industry, such as power transmission and energy storage.  

Professor Li was also named to the MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 (TR35) China list in 2021, one of the only two awardees in Hong Kong that year, establishing him as among the leading figures globally under the age of 35 who have had a profound impact on the future development of science and technology. Professor Li has also published many influential papers in academic journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Materials, Nature Physics, Physical Review Letters, and Nature Communications.