Professor Qi ZHAO is among one of the 35 “Innovators Under 35” selected for the Asia Pacific Region in 2024 by MIT Technology Review, a technology publication founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.

This year, 35 young innovators were selected by a panel of judges comprising around 50 experts. They were recognised for their willingness to challenge norms and push the boundaries of innovation, as well as their potential to become leaders in technology over the coming years.

Professor Qi ZHAO is among the awardees, and his research focuses on quantum computing and quantum information, including quantum simulation algorithms, entanglement detection, and quantum resource theory. He has developed efficient quantum entanglement detection and verification tools, and he has proposed novel quantum simulation algorithms and error analyses, bridging the gap between theory and experiment. His research has laid the foundation for quantum computing and quantum information applications.

Professor Zhao said, “This award recognises the hard work and dedication of my team and collaborators. Moving forward, I plan to further explore the potential of quantum computing and quantum information. My future research will focus on developing more efficient quantum algorithms and enhancing the practical applications of quantum simulations. I am committed to pushing the boundaries of this exciting field and contributing to the development of secure and powerful quantum technologies.”

Professor Zhao obtained a Bachelor’s and Doctoral degree from Tsinghua University in 2014 and 2018 respectively. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China in 2019. He was a Hartree Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Maryland in the United States before joining HKU as Assistant Professor in 2022.

For over 20 years, the MIT Technology Review has organised the Innovators Under 35 award. In 2010, it launched the regional awards to recognise the effort by young talent from different countries and regions around the world.