On April 26th, Micius Quantum Science and Technology Foundation announced the list of the winners of 2018 and 2019 Micius Quantum Award on the conference in Hefei. Professor PAN Jianwei won the 2019 Micius Quantum Award for his pioneering experiments in multi-photon interferometry and free-space quantum transmission, thus realizing practical security and wide-area quantum communication.

Image from the science and Technology Department of Anhui Province: Professor PAN Jianwei is the one on the left.

In order to encourage the discovery and breakthrough of quantum physics and quantum information science, the Micius Quantum Science and Technology Foundation, sponsored by several private enterprises, established the Micius Quantum Award. After the evaluation of nominate and international expert, the prizes are awarded to outstanding scientists who have made incredible contributions in the fields of quantum communication, quantum simulation, quantum computing and precise quantum measurement worldwide, which will enhance China's discourse power in this field. Each winner of the Micius Quantum Award will receive a prize of 1 million RMB (approximately US$ 150,000).

The first Micius Quantum Award in 2018 was awarded to six scientists who made outstanding contributions in the field of quantum computing. The winners of the theoretical category are Ignacio Cirac, David Deutsch, Peter Shor, and Peter Zoller, for their pioneering theoretical work in proposing the framework of quantum computing systems, quantum algorithms, and physical implementation. The winners of the experimental category are Rainer Blatt and David Wineland, for their pioneering contributions in exploring quantum computing based on trapped ions experiments.

Similarly, six scientists were awarded the 2019 Micius Quantum Award in quantum communication. The winners in theoretical category are: Charles Bennett, Gilles Brassard, Artur Ekert, and Stephen Wiesner, for their pioneering contributions in establishing the theoretical framework for quantum communication; Professor Pan Jianwei and Professor Anton Zeilinger's groundbreaking experimental work, which make wide-area quantum communication possible, enabled them won the award in experimental category.

Professor David Wineland, as one of the Micius Quantum Award winners, was also awarded 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics. There were 10 Award winners (David Deutsch, Peter Shor, Peter Zoller, Ignacio Cirac, David J. Wineland, Rainer Blatt, Charles H. Bennett, Artur Ekert, Anton Zeilinger and Pan Jianwei) who have won International Quantum Communication Award. And five Award winners (Peter Zoller, Ignacio Cirac, Charles H. Bennett, Gilles Brassard, and Anton Zeilinger) have won the International Quantum Communication Award. Four prize-winners (David Deutsch, Peter Shor, Peter Zoller, and Charles H. Bennett) have won the Dirac Medal.

(Written by Marhaba, edited by SHI Xiao, USTC News Center)