Major breakthrough! A post-90s female scientist in Shenzhen overcomes the challenges of micro-nano photonics.

According to media reports on July 28, the 2025 MIT Technology Review "35 Innovators Under 35" (TR35) China list has recently been announced. Professor Guan Jun from the School of Science and Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, has been named to the list, receiving the "Inventor" title, making her the first young scholar from the university to be included in the TR35 China list.

At just 32 years old, Guan Jun has earned high recognition from the judging committee for her pioneering work in the field of micro-nano optics and photonic devices. She creatively integrated moiré superlattice structures with topological photonics, granting micro-nano lasers dynamic tunability with scanning and reconfigurable capabilities. This technological breakthrough is expected to open new pathways for next-generation optical communication systems and quantum photonic devices.

Guan Jun has long been dedicated to the interdisciplinary research of micro-nano optics, covering frontier directions such as optical chips, micro-nano lasers, optical metasurfaces, and quantum dot light-emitting devices. She is committed to driving the evolution of light source devices toward smaller sizes, higher intelligence, and lower energy consumption through novel photonic structure designs.

In terms of academic background, Guan Jun joined the School of Science and Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, in July 2023. She currently serves as an assistant professor and doctoral supervisor, while also being appointed as a Presidential Young Scholar and selected for the National Young Talents Program. She earned her bachelor's degree (2016) from the Physics Base Class (Elite Student Training Program in Basic Disciplines) at Sichuan University, during which she participated in exchange programs at the University of Oxford and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Subsequently, she pursued her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from 2016 to 2021 at Northwestern University in the United States, under the supervision of Professor Teri W. Odom and Professor George C. Schatz, both members of the National Academy of Sciences. From 2021 to 2022, she continued as a postdoctoral researcher at the same institution, working with Professor Teri W. Odom. From 2022 to 2023, she moved to the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completing her second postdoctoral fellowship under the guidance of Professor Vladimir Bulovic, a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

Guan Jun's academic achievements have been repeatedly recognized, earning her honors such as the Best Presentation Award at the MRS Fall Meeting, the Outstanding Research Scholar Award from the International Institute for Nanotechnology, the Predictive Science and Engineering Scholarship from Northwestern University, and the Outstanding Young Scholar Award at the Metamaterials Congress. This series of experiences and accolades outlines the growth trajectory of a young scientist with both international vision and original innovation capabilities.