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Past Events
Joint Colloquium by Chemistry Department, Physics Department & Physical Society of Hong Kong: 100 Years of superconductivity: Impacts on Science, Technology and Sustainable Global Development
| Speaker: | Prof. Paul C. W. Chu |
| Affiliation: | Department of Physics and Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| Date: | April 26, 2012 (Thu) |
| Time: | 4:00 p.m. |
| Venue: | Lecture Theatre T6, Meng Wah Complex, HKU |
Abstract
Superconductivity was discovered 100 years ago by Kamerlingh Onnes in Leiden. Last year, spectacular anniversary celebrations were held all over the world. However, the field remains young and full of vigor. This may be attributed to the endless lure of superconductivity in science and technology, from the early proof of quantum mechanics to today’s search for Majorana Fermions and the high-tech development, to future sustainable global development in energy and the environment. While superconductivity advancement has benefitted from the talents grown out from our educational system, it is also playing an increasingly important role in science education. In this presentation, I would like to share with you my wonderful odyssey in this unusual subfield of physics, and how it has changed my life and others’, particularly in the 25 years since the discovery of high temperature superconductivity.
About the Speaker:
Prof. Paul C.W. Chu is a world renowned physicist. He and his colleagues discovered superconductors above liquid nitrogen point in 1987. He served as President of HKUST 2001-2009. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Among the numerous awards he has received include the US National Medal of Science, the International Prize for New Materials, the Comstock Award, the Texas Instruments’ Founders’ Prize, the John Fritz Medal, and the Freedoms Foundation National Award. He is Director of the Texas Center for Superconductivity and the T.L.L. Temple Chair of Science in the University of Houston.
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Physics colloquium series is organized to introduce cutting edge researches and new development in physics, designed to be suitable to graduate and undergraduate students, and also to scientists working on different fields. Each colloquium will generally start with an extensive introduction of the background of the field, followed by forefront research topics and results. The colloquium will serve as an education forum for students and laymen alike, and also serve as a platform for exchange and update their knowledge of various branches of physics among academic staff members.
Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the Colloquium.
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