News

Prof. Cheng-Wei Qiu delivered a speech during the PRI Distinguished Seminar Series on 8 April 2024

The Photonics Research Institute (PRI) Distinguished Seminar Series “Synthetic Interface Optics: Plasmonic / dielectric, TMDC and van der Waals Metasurfaces” was successfully held on 8 April 2024.   We are delighted to have Prof. Cheng-Wei Qiu, Dean’s Chair Professor of the National University of Singapore, Fellow of APS, Optica, SPIE and The Electromagnetics Academy (US) to share his valuable insights and experiences.   Prof. Qiu’s Research expertise and interest are Metasurface photonics, 2D-materials-based quantum nanophotonics, spin-orbit coupling, van der Waals photonics.   We would like to extend our gratitude to Prof. Qiu for his contribution. His expertise and knowledge were greatly appreciated.   We look forward to hosting more such enriching events in the future. Stay tuned for updates on our website.

PRI researcher develops a novel on-chip photothermal gas sensor

A joint research team led by Prof. Wei Jin, Associate Director of Photonics Research Institute (PRI) and Chair Professor of Photonic Instrumentation in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of PolyU, and Prof. Chuantao Zheng of Jilin University, has developed a novel on-chip photothermal spectroscopy sensor for high sensitivity gas detection.   On-chip waveguide sensors have attracted considerable attention due to its ultra-compact footprint and potential for large-scale integration. However, existing waveguide gas sensors are primarily based on direct absorption spectroscopy which suffer from limited sensitivity and measurement range. The team demonstrated a new method for high sensitivity on-chip gas measurement by using photothermal spectroscopy. This technique detects photothermal phase change resulting from non-radiative relaxation upon light absorption by gas molecules, presenting itself as an indirect technique capable of circumventing the limitations of direct absorption measurement.   By selecting chalcogenide glass (ChG) as the core-layer material and fabricating thermally-isolated ChG-on-SU8 waveguide for thermal field accumulation, the team has demonstrated a remarkable acetylene detection sensitivity of 4 parts-per-million and a dynamic range exceeding 5 orders of magnitude, which outperform traditional direct absorption sensor by nearly 2 and 3 orders of magnitude, respectively.   The research findings have been recently published in Laser & Photonics Reviews. Further investigation is underway to optimize the waveguide structure, improve thermal accumulation and understand deeper the optical-thermal-phase transfer mechanism. The team looks forward to collaborating with the industry in further development of the integrated on-chip sensors and applications.   For more details, please click Here.

Organic solar cell breakthrough from Prof. Gang LI’s team

Prof. Gang LI’s research team published a paper “Rational molecular and device design enables organic solar cells approaching 20% efficiency” on Nature Communications on 28 February 2024, which reported a new efficiency breakthrough of organic solar cells.   Ternary strategy that introduces a guest component into the benchmark host blend is a promising method further to improve the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells, but how to design a suitable third component remains challenging. Here, the authors systematically investigated the design rules of guest molecules by theoretical simulations and successfully synthesized a new molecule, o-BTP-eC9, contributing to a record organic solar cell with 19.9% (19.5 certified) efficiency.   The paper is available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46022-3

Prof. Tommy WEI Minchen and Dr RUAN Haihui featured in PolyImpact Volume II

We are pleased to announced that 2 PRI researchers, Prof. Tommy WEI Minchen and Dr RUAN Haihui, featured in PolyImpact Volume II.   PolyImpact : PolyU Inventions and Innovations that Benefit the World ,Volume II is a collection of 10 impactful stories highlighting the University’s extraordinary journey in translating its innovative technologies, offering solutions to global problems, and creating a positive impact on society.   Story Name of PRI Researcher Title(s) True colours: State-of-the-art R&D optimises colours in lighting and imaging systems, improving users’ experience and well-being Prof. Tommy WEI Minchen Management Committee Member of Photonics Research Institute (PRI)   Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Taking out the guesswork: Computational models boost yield and reduce scrap rate in manufacturing ultra-thin, chemically strengthened, curved cover glass for electronic devices Dr RUAN Haihui   Member of Photonics Research Institute (PRI)   Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering   For further information, please refer to https://polyu.hk/KAsXu

Prof. Ioannis (John) Kymissis gave a speech at the PRI Distinguished Seminar Series on 6 Feb 2024

The Photonics Research Institute (PRI) successfully hosted a Distinguished Seminar yesterday. The seminar was presented by Prof. Ioannis (John) Kymissis, the Kenneth Brayer Professor of Electrical Engineering and Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University. The seminar topic was "Electronics on anything - how thin film electronics can instrument the world".   We would like to express our gratitude to Prof. Kymissis for his invaluable contribution to the seminar. We also extend our sincere appreciation to all the participants who attended the seminar.

Prof. Jianhua HAO and his team’s research on Ferroelectricity was published in Nature Communications

Prof. Jianhua HAO, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices and Member of Photonics Research Institute (PRI), and his team’s research was published in Nature Communications. The research titled "Direct Observation of Intrinsic Room-Temperature Ferroelectricity in 2D Layered CuCrP₂S₆"   Nature Communications is one of the world’s top journals which covers a variety of scientific topics from physical sciences to earth and environmental sciences. Its publications include a vast number of high-quality researches with high impact factor.   To read the article in Nature Communications, please click HERE

PolyU-developed electroreduction system turns carbon dioxide into plastic ingredients

Prof. Daniel LAU, Associate Director of the Photonics Research Institute (PRI), Management Committee Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Director of the University Research Facility in Materials Characterization and Device Fabrication (UMF), Head of the Department of Applied Physics (AP) and Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and his research team, developed a durable, highly selective and energy-efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction system that can convert CO2 into ethylene for industrial purposes. Ethylene is a primary ingredient in plastics and chemical fibres. This research was recently published in Nature Energy and won a Gold Medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in Switzerland.   Conventional ethylene production generates significant carbon emissions. The research team adopted the method of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene using green electricity, providing a more environmentally friendly alternative and stable ethylene production.   The team is working to promote this emerging technology to bring it closer to mass production, closing the carbon loop and ultimately achieving carbon neutrality. This innovative PolyU project was conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre of Taiwan and Jiangsu University.   Further reading: https://polyu.hk/guFqw   Online coverage: WhatsNew2Day - https://polyu.me/3SEBt5n GBA Biz Tech Magazine - https://polyu.me/3OghVkV China.com - https://polyu.me/3u3NTdn East Money - https://polyu.me/3HBmGBL Tech Xplore - https://polyu.me/3u65cun ETNet - https://polyu.me/4922GE7 Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/4b4e7Nz Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/4932cxB Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3UaP5Gl Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3u847C8 Yahoo News US - https://polyu.me/47MWqzb Yahoo Finance UK - https://polyu.me/3SaHqFo Sina HK - https://polyu.me/3SfUr0K

PAIR researcher-led colour management technologies used in over 100 million smart devices worldwide annually

The team led by Prof. Tommy WEI Minchen, Management Committee Member of the Photonics Research Institute (PRI) and Professor in the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, has developed a series of colour management technologies that enable digital displays, imaging devices and extended reality to capture and reproduce colours more faithfully, thereby enhancing user experience.   These cutting-edge technologies have been successfully commercialised and widely adopted by social media, imaging systems and manufacturers of LED lighting products, smartphones and drones. Over 100 million high-end smart devices worldwide each year have been powered by the technologies.   Further reading: https://polyu.hk/ESlFn   Online coverage: Master Insight - https://polyu.me/3U4aJMs ezone - https://polyu.me/3vDNleO IT Pro - https://polyu.me/428yzca Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/3u0hTqt The 21st Century Business Herald - https://polyu.me/3HnyxU4 NetEase - https://polyu.me/47Dzm5P CRHK - https://polyu.me/3U5tXS6 Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/3U4bsgA Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/3SnYkSz Hong Kong Economic Times -https://polyu.me/48AlYko Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/41YCSGV Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/3Smew6t Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4bbXgIO Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3vETFm8 HK01 - https://polyu.me/3vEV2kR Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3O3uCiY China News Service - https://polyu.me/425ABte ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/4aZH4Km

Prof. Yun-Feng XIAO delivered a speech during the PRI Distinguished Seminar Series on 19 Jan 2024

The Photonics Research Institute (PRI) Distinguished Seminar was successfully held today.   Prof. Yun-Feng XIAO delivered an insightful distinguished seminar on the topic of Ultra-high-Q microcavity optics and photonics.   We would like to extend our gratitude to Prof. XIAO for his invaluable contribution to the seminar and our sincere appreciation to all the participants who attended the seminar.   We look forward to hosting more enlightening seminars in the future and hope to continue providing a platform for learning and growth.

Prof. Mo YANG, Prof. Aping ZHANG and Dr Dongmei HUANG won the Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award 2022

We are pleased to announce that three Photonics Research Institute (PRI) scholars, Prof. Mo YANG (BME), Prof. Aping ZHANG (EEE) and Dr Dongmei HUANG (EEE), won the Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award 2022.   with a view to recognize the outstanding performance of FENG academic staff members in securing external competitive research grants, Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award has been set up by the Faculty Research Committee since 2003.   Congratulations to the Winners for the Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award 2022!