Hong Kong strengthens its role in materials research

Professor Xun-Li Wang, Chair Professor in the Department of Physics at the City University of Hong Kong, was recently awarded the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award and has just won five-year funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Areas of Excellence Scheme.

Croucher News last interviewed Professor Wang in 2024. They recently caught up with him again to hear more about these latest awards.

Congratulations on being named a recipient of the 16th Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award. What does it mean to you to have your work recognised in this way?

The Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award () is widely regarded as the highest and most prestigious award in the Chinese engineering field. My work is neutron scattering research, not exactly a traditional engineering field. Therefore, I am deeply honoured to receive this award, as it is not only a personal honour but also a recognition of the value of neutron scattering to the engineering community.

Despite all the demands on your time, you maintain an active research portfolio. How would you summarise your current research interests?

I love my work. I particularly enjoy the time to design a new experiment to answer tough questions, particularly those that must utilise unique features of neutron scattering.

Throughout my career, I have worked on a broad range of topics, from fundamental physics problems to residual stress mapping in engineering components. Currently, my research focuses on two aspects: (1) the structure and dynamics of metallic glass; and (2) the low-temperature deformation of complex alloys.

Neutrons are great, as they show where atoms are (the structure) and what atoms do (the dynamics).

Congratulations also on securing funding for the Hong Kong Centre for Neutron Scattering (HKCNS) via the RGC’s Areas of Excellence Scheme (AoE). What does this recognition mean to you?

AoE is the most selective grant by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong. The funding scheme started in 1999, and on average, it has awarded about 2-3 projects per year.

The selection of our AoE signifies the trust and confidence in our project team, by the RGC panel and Hong Kong’s scientific community at large, to build a world’s premier centre in neutron scattering science and technology. It is also a great challenge, by all means. However, with the support of RGC and our team, we will accomplish the mission.

Why is HKCNS important for the region and the country as a whole?

Neutron scattering is a powerful experimental technique for determining the structure and dynamics of materials, which in turn determine the materials’ properties and, hence, their performance. The applications of neutron scattering are broad and impactful, covering physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science and engineering.

Neutron scattering becomes relevant for Hong Kong because the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) was built next door in Dongguan, with a total investment close to $1 billion USD. It makes sense, therefore, that CSNS is a strategic partner of HKCNS, and this relationship goes both ways. For Hong Kong, HKCNS aligns perfectly with its long-term technology-driven economic needs and resonates with the national initiative to transform the Greater Bay Area (GBA) into an international centre for science and innovation. For CSNS, HKCNS is a source of expertise and serves as a “super connector” for international collaborations.

What are your immediate plans for developing HKCNS?

The project will begin in January next year, and it is a five-year project. So there is a sense of urgency already. As a start, we need to quickly stand up the project team by recruiting postdoctoral researchers and PhD students to conduct planned research and engage in international collaborations.

Wang says the China Spallation Neutron Source is a strategic partner of the Hong Kong Centre for Neutron Scattering, and “this relationship goes both ways”.

Looking ahead, what would you consider the measure of success for HKCNS – both for Hong Kong's standing in neutron science and for training the next generation of researchers?

Within HKCNS, we will conduct cutting-edge research using neutron scattering, develop new measurement methodology and data analysis methods, engage in industry and technology transfer, and train the next generation of researchers. However, the impact of HKCNS will go beyond these productivity-based outcomes. We envision HKCNS as an intellectual hub where colleagues from around the world will come to collaborate.

The project team consists of 4 senior professors and 8 early- and mid-career scholars. It is our hope that in five years’ time, these early- and mid-career scholars will have grown to become leaders in their own right who will lead HKCNS to the next level.

As an APS International Councillor, you've written about the value of international collaboration. How does your experience of local-global connection inform your work building neutron scattering capacity in the region?

For a neutron scattering scientist like me, international collaboration is a must. Throughout my career, I have benefited greatly from the international community, not only in terms of carrying out neutron scattering experiments at facilities worldwide. More importantly, I have always enjoyed the intellectual engagement and exchanges with colleagues around the world. To this end, it is my hope that HKCNS will provide a platform for learning and research for the international community right here in Hong Kong.

If you could offer one piece of advice to young researchers in Hong Kong considering a career in neutron scattering, what would it be?

I can turn the questions around. As a world-class facility and a great resource, CSNS is right next door. What does it mean to you? How are you going to tap this powerful tool to advance your career? If you would like to use neutron scattering to solve difficult problems, my advice is "Stay focused and follow your passion.”

Professor Wang is a 2021 Croucher Senior Research Fellow.