introduction
At present, the main battlefield of global high-tech is chips, and the chip field has two major directions, one is to represent the current lithography machine, and the other is to represent the future of quantum computing.
On the track of quantum computing, Chinese scientists have embarked on a path of their own, the most representative of which is the "Chinese Quantum Big Four": Guo Guangcan, Pan Jianwei, Du Jiangfeng, Jin Xianmin, and Jin Xianmin is the youngest of the four.
The first signs
Professor Jin Xianmin of the School of Physics and Astronomy of Shanghai Jiao Tong University can be said to be the "top stream" of young Chinese scientists at present.
Whether it is the label of "post-80s, doctor of the University of Science and Technology of China, postdoctoral fellow of Oxford, professor of Shanghai Jiaotong University", or the topic of "giving up the green card, resolutely returning to China, the king of the quantum field", he has become the focus of attention in the Chinese scientific community.
The young scientist set up a photonic integration and quantum information laboratory at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and has been deeply involved in the field of optical quantum integrated chips and quantum communication for many years.
In 2010, China's top ten scientific and technological progress, including the Chang'e-2 lunar exploration project, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway full line paving and other widely known scientific and technological achievements.
There is also an achievement called 16 km free space quantum state teleportation, the first author of this scientific research was a doctoral student, he is Kim Hyun-min.
For this project, Kim Hyun-min worked for three years in the mountains of the Badaling Great Wall.
During the three years he worked at the Badaling Great Wall, Kim Hyun-min took such a picture, when he was still studying for a doctorate at the University of Science and Technology of China.
In order to study the subject, he lived almost in seclusion in the mountains, busy with work all day, and could not see a few outsiders a month. So shaving becomes irrelevant. Finally, the young Kim Hyun-min grew a big beard.
In Beijing's air conditions, a horizontal level of 5 to 10 kilometers is equivalent to atmospheric loss from the ground to the satellite. If the experiment can succeed at this distance, it proves that quantum communication can also be carried out from the ground to the satellite.
Jin Hyun-min completed 16 kilometers of quantum channels in three years, far exceeding the specified value, which perfectly verified the feasibility of quantum communication based on satellites. This experiment also prompted the Chinese Academy of Sciences to firmly launch a special program for quantum science satellite pilots.
This achievement gave more inspiration to Kim Hyun-min, who dared to innovate. Since it is possible to achieve quantum communication from the ground to the satellite, what about from the ground to the deep sea?
After ascending to heaven, Kim Hyun-min wanted to try to enter the sea, and his eyes turned to other disciplines.
At Shanghai Jiao Tong University, there is the largest towing pool in Asia, which was originally used to test ships, but the environment of the pool just simulated the ocean.
It was in this insistence that his group demonstrated for the first time on a global scale the feasibility of underwater quantum communication. Kim Hyun-min leads the lab to show the future of quantum communication technology into the sea.
Leading the world
In 2014, Kim Hyun-min returned from overseas and officially became a teacher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
At the time, quantum computers were still in their infancy, and Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Wormsley proposed a plan called the Quantum Technologies Project to reinvigorate cutting-edge technology in the UK. Wormsley set up the world's first research and development team for optical quantum chips, and Kim Hyun-min was one of them. Oxford's vice-chancellor admired the Young Chinese and gave him the best conditions for scientific research, as long as Kim Hyun-min agreed to get a green card.
But in the end, he still did not agree, but chose to return to China and continue to develop his own optical quantum technology.
Upon learning of Kim Hyun-min's decision, Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Wormsley said, "Kim Hyun-min's role in quantum research is comparable to that of a nuclear bomb."
The decision to return to China was not a difficult choice for Kim Hyun-min. In his view, returning to China and personal development are actually mutually compatible.
Returning to China is no longer like the older generation, that is, giving up bungalows, high salaries, China's rapid development of the national economy, and the continuous improvement of the scientific environment, are all factors that prompted Jin Xianmin to return to China and develop.
Jin Hyun-min came to Shanghai Jiao Tong University with great pride.
If you want to have a chip platform with independent intellectual property rights, from key instruments to the smallest parts, you need to solve it by the scientific research team.
During this time, some people saw no hope and left the team; others saw hope and chose to join the team.
In 2018, Kim Hyun-min's laboratory prepared the world's largest three-dimensional integrated optical quantum computing integrated chip, which was rated as one of the top ten optical industry technologies in 2018.
In May 2018, their results were published in a sub-issue of the Journal of Science, and academics around the world saw the excellent work in his laboratory.
Jin Xianmin's group has also officially entered the first echelon of the field of optical quantum, and he is also known as the "Four Giants of Chinese Quantum" by netizens along with Guo Guangcan, Pan Jianwei and Du Jiangfeng.
For the benefit of the country
Jin Xianmin, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, may be far away from most people's daily lives, but his scientific research has never hidden in the study. Kim Hyun Min has been working hard to promote the industrialization of cutting-edge technology.
In 2022, Jin Xianmin founded Turing Quantum, a light quantum chip and optical quantum computer company, with investors including: Yuanhe Origin, Amber Capital, Binhu SDIC, Potential Energy Capital, Legend Capital, etc. In half a year, turing quantum has accumulated more than 500 million yuan in financing, which is a "rare" start-up that has achieved quasi-unicorns in 1 year of entrepreneurship in China.
In the field of global science and technology, Chinese scientists have always wanted to "change the lane to overtake", and in the field of quantum computing that represents the future, China is racing with Europe and the United States.
Kim Hyun-min and his Turing Quantum are undoubtedly the most representative players.
In Kim Hyun-min's view, this kind of competition is full of participation and achievement. At present, the advanced technologies mastered by Western developed countries were slowly iterated from cutting-edge science to industrial transformation.
Therefore, If China wants to "divert course and overtake", it also needs to go through such a process, which may be what a generation needs to do, especially young scientists, who have responsibilities and missions.
Kim Hyun-min has won many heavyweight honors, but the award at the center of his bookshelf is the Workaholic Award spontaneously selected by students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Working around the clock is not a boring task for Kim Hyun-min, as he has always had the strongest curiosity about his field of study.
The starting point of scientific research, especially basic research, is often the curiosity of scientists to explore the mysteries of nature.
The historic achievements made in the mainland's scientific and technological undertakings are the result of successive generations of scientists who are committed to serving the country and continue to struggle. We believe that young scientific researchers will also take the initiative to shoulder the heavy responsibility of history and integrate their scientific pursuits into the great cause of national rejuvenation.