Recently, the winners of the Third Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Ruiyuan Science and Technology Awards have been announced. Zhang Yiran, a graduate of the Zhiyuan College Honors Program (Class of 2018) in Physics, has been honored with the Ruiyuan Youth Science and Technology Award in Mathematics and Material Sciences, making him the youngest recipient since the award’s inception.
Dr. Zhang, currently a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, was recognized for his groundbreaking achievements in two-dimensional (2D) graphene superconductivity and moiré superlattice strong-correlation physics.
His research has led to a paradigm shift in the field. During his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology, Zhang dramatically elevated the superconducting critical temperature of intrinsic bilayer graphene by an order of magnitude through spin-orbit coupling interface engineering, overturning long-held assumptions about the fragility of graphene-based superconductivity. In his latest work published in Nature (2025), he proposed a novel "twist-angle programmable superconductivity" paradigm, enabling precise control of superconducting states and achieving both the highest superconducting temperature and the strongest diamagnetism in intrinsic graphene.
"The Ruiyuan award is a tremendous encouragement at this stage of my scientific career," said Zhang. "I hope my journey can serve as a reference for current Zhiyuan students who are dedicated to fundamental research."
Zhang credits his early training at SJTU’s Zhiyuan College as critical to his success. Admitted in 2014, he benefited from the college’s philosophy of encouraging undergraduates to enter laboratories early, shifting from rote learning to problem-oriented research. Under the mentorship of Professors Liu Ying and Shi Zhiwen, Zhang developed the hands-on skills and independent thinking that define his current work.
"Zhiyuan’s faculty trust students, providing ample hands-on opportunities and encouraging us to pursue our research interests," Zhang recalled. That trust, coupled with college-funded research stints at Caltech as an undergraduate, solidified his resolve to pursue experimental condensed matter physics.
Zhang emphasizes that scientific inquiry requires two key traits: curiosity and resilience. "There is often a gap between vision and experimental progress," he noted. "Repeated trials and corrections are an inevitable part of the process."
At Harvard, Zhang is now exploring the intersection of quantum sensing and quantum information, aiming to detect exotic quantum phenomena in condensed matter systems. While fundamental, this research lays the groundwork for future quantum computing and novel quantum devices.
About the Ruiyuan Award
Established in 2022 by SJTU alumnus Chen Guangming, the Ruiyuan Science and Technology Awards encourage trailblazing research that tackles hard problems and achieves world-recognized breakthroughs. The Youth Award category was added in 2023 to support the next generation of scientific talent.