The duo received the award for their impressive efforts to pave the way for more efficient nonlinear devices.
MELVILLE, N.Y., May 1, 2025 — APL Photonics and AIP Publishing are delighted to announce Jie Zhao and Xiaoting Li as the winners of the APL Photonics 2024 Future Luminary Award for their work in identifying and mitigating spectral imperfections in thin-film lithium niobate frequency doublers.
Their winning paper, “Unveiling the origins of quasi-phase matching spectral imperfections in thin-film lithium niobate frequency doublers,” was published in the December 2023 issue of APL Photonics.
“The APL Photonics Future Luminary Award shines a spotlight on outstanding research that not only pushes the frontiers of photonics but also signals the emergence of the next generation of leaders in our field,” said APL Photonics Editor-in-Chief Prof. Benjamin J. Eggleton.
“The winning paper on quasi-phase matching spectral imperfections in thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) addresses an important issue in a key technology platform for classical and quantum communications,” he added. “The comprehensive study included impressive experimental results that were reproduced with simulations and paves the way for more efficient nonlinear devices”
Zhao, currently a senior staff optical engineer at Marvell Technology, earned her Ph.D. in Photonics from UC San Diego in 2020, where she focused on nonlinear photonic devices in TFLN. Prior to her work at Marvell developing next-generation photonics products for data centers, she was a member of technical staff at Nokia Bell Labs.
“Winning this award is a humbling recognition of the hard work, collaboration, and innovation that continue to drive my work in photonics,” said Zhao. “I am sincerely grateful to APL Photonics for supporting early-career researchers, and for encouraging my ongoing growth as both a scientist and an active contributor to the field.”
Li, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong, earned her B.S. in Physics from Heilongjiang University and her MS in Physics from Nankai University. A recipient of the prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, her research is focused on thin-film periodically poled lithium niobate devices for use in nonlinear and quantum photonics.
“I am truly humbled and honored to receive this award from APL Photonics,” said Li. “Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication that has gone into my research, and I am thrilled to be recognized by the editorial board and the photonics community. This award not only acknowledges my past achievements but also motivates me to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation in the field of photonics. I am grateful for this recognition and look forward to continuing to make meaningful contributions to the scientific community.”
The APL Photonics Future Luminary Award recognizes the achievements of highly promising early career researchers with the potential to become luminaries in the field of photonics. The award includes a $3,000 honorarium, the opportunity to join the APL Photonics Early Career Editorial Advisory Board, and an invitation to write an Invited Article in APL Photonics.
“As editor-in-chief, I am proud that APL Photonics is home to such impactful and visionary work, and we are excited to recognize authors whose contributions have the potential to shape the future of photonic science and technology,” said Prof. Eggleton.
ABOUT APL PHOTONICS
APL Photonics is the dedicated home for open access multidisciplinary research from and for the photonics community. The journal publishes fundamental and applied results that significantly advance the knowledge in photonics across physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science.
ABOUT AIP PUBLISHING
AIP Publishing’s mission is to advance, promote, and serve the physical sciences for the benefit of humanity by breaking barriers to open, equitable research communication and empowering researchers to accelerate global progress. AIP Publishing is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and supports the charitable, scientific, and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities on its behalf and on behalf of our publishing partners.
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