HKU Professor Shizhong Zhang Named 2026 Fellow of the American Physical Society

Professor Shizhong ZHANG, Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, has been elected a 2026 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). He was recognised by the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics for his outstanding contributions to quantum physics.

Professor Zhang is honoured for his fundamental discoveries revealing universal behaviour in strongly interacting quantum systems. His pioneering research on p-wave interactions, the theoretical foundations of spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates, and the transport properties of dilute Fermi gases have significantly advanced our understanding of how quantum particles interact and behave collectively.

The APS Fellowship programme recognises members who have made exceptional contributions to physics through original research, innovative applications, scientific leadership, or service to the global physics community. Election to the Fellowship is highly selective, with no more than 0.5% of the Society’s non-student membership elected annually following a rigorous peer-review process.

Reflecting on the recognition, Professor Zhang expressed his gratitude to those who have supported his research over the years. “I’m delighted that my work has been recognised by my peers, especially since much of it was inspired by theirs. I’ve been fortunate in the colleagues I’ve collaborated with and learned from, and in the steady support of HKU. For me, this honour is both deeply gratifying and a reminder to keep pushing forward, because so many interesting questions remain open,” said Professor Zhang.

About Professor Shizhong Zhang

Professor Zhang is a theoretical physicist specialising in ultracold atomic gases, quantum many-body physics, and strongly correlated systems. He earned a BSc from Tsinghua University in 2003 and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009. After postdoctoral research at The Ohio State University, he joined HKU in 2012. His notable honours include the Croucher Innovation Award (2015), the HKU Outstanding Young Researcher Award (2017), and a Research Fellowship under the Research Grants Council’s Research Fellow Scheme (2022/23).