Faculty
Professor Xiao Wei Sun is a Chair Professor at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics. He is a National Distinguished Expert of China, a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Science, and an Academician of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials. Professor Sun serves as the Executive Dean of the Institute of Nanoscience and Applications at SUSTech, Founding Chair of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Director of both the Key Laboratory of Energy Conversion and Storage Technology under the Ministry of Education and the Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Dot Advanced Display and Lighting.
Previously, Professor Sun held positions at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, including Full Professor and Director of the Microelectronics Center. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Optical Society of America (OSA), the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the Society for Information Display (SID), and the Institute of Physics (IoP). He was the first mainland Chinese scholar to be recognized as a Fellow of SID and has also been honored as a Distinguished Lecturer by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Additionally, Professor Sun founded the Society for Energy Photonics and co-founded the Singapore-China Association for Science and Technology Promotion, where he served as Vice Chairman.
Professor Sun has received numerous accolades, including the SPIE DCS 2024 Fumio Okano Best 3D Paper Prize, the 2023 SID Slottow-Owaki Prize, the First Prize in the National Invention and Innovation Awards, and the Second Prize in the Guangdong Science and Technology Awards. His research focuses on wide-bandgap semiconductor materials and devices, advanced display technologies, and glasses-free 3D technology. He has published over 600 papers in academic journals, with more than 40,000 citations and an H-index of 103 (Google Scholar). Professor Sun has been listed among Elsevier's Most Cited Chinese Researchers for six consecutive years and ranks among Stanford University's Top 2% Global Scientists.
Current Roles:
· Executive Dean, Institute of Nanoscience and Applications, SUSTech
· Distinguished Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, SUSTech
Educational Background:
· B.S. in Optoelectronics, Tianjin University, China (1986.9–1990.7)
· M.S. in Optical Instruments, Tianjin University, China (1990.9–1992.7)
· Ph.D. in Optical Instruments, Tianjin University, China (1992.7–1994.9)
· Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, China (1994.9–1998.12)
Career History:
· Assistant Professor, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, NTU, Singapore (1998.12–2005.10)
· Associate Professor (Tenured), School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, NTU, Singapore (2005.10–2011.08)
· Full Professor, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, NTU, Singapore (2011.09–2015.12)
· Head and Distinguished Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, SUSTech, China (2013.01–2014.03)
· Chair and Distinguished Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, SUSTech, China (2015.12–2020.09)
· Acting Director and Distinguished Professor, Technology Transfer Center, SUSTech, China (2020.10–2021.01)
· Executive Dean and Distinguished Professor, Institute of Nanoscience and Applications, SUSTech, China (2022.07–present)
Selected Awards and Honors:
· 2025: Fellow, IEEE; Foreign Member, Russian Academy of Science
· 2024: SPIE DCS Fumio Okano Best 3D Paper Prize
· 2023: SID Slottow-Owaki Prize
· 2022: Second Prize in Natural Science, Shenzhen Natural Science Award (First Author); Second Prize in Natural Science, Guangdong Science and Technology Award (First Author)
· 2021: Honorary Doctorate, Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics (BSUIR)
· 2018: IEEE Distinguished Lecturer
· 2016: Fellow, Optica (formerly OSA)
· 2013: Academician, Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials
· 2013: Jacques Beaulieu Distinguished Research Chair Award, National Institute for Scientific Research, Canada
· 2011: Fellow, SID
· 2010: Fellow, SPIE
· 2009: Fellow, Institute of Physics
· 2009: NTU Technological and Innovation Award
· 2008: Nominee, Singapore National Technology Award
Representative Research Contributions:
1. Hybrid Cation Doping Method for Quantum Dots: Developed a novel method to balance carrier injection in quantum dots by doping with organic-inorganic mixed cations, achieving significant improvements in crystal quality, reduced hole injection barriers, and balanced carrier injection.
2. High-Resolution Electrophoretic Deposition Patterning Technology for Quantum Dots: Innovated a selective electrophoretic deposition (SEPD) patterning technology, enabling the efficient, uniform, and large-area preparation of full-color quantum dot patterned films on single electrodes.
3. Inkjet-Printed Quantum Dot LEDs: Pioneered the use of ternary ink combined with gradient vacuum annealing, producing atomically flat quantum dot films and the industry's longest-lasting inkjet-printed quantum dot light-emitting diodes, supporting major national research plans.
4. Light Emission Model for Quantum Dot LEDs: Provided new insights into the competing effects of photon recycling and microcavity effects on LED efficiency, establishing a theoretical foundation for optimizing light extraction strategies in quantum dot LEDs.
Research Projects: Since returning to China, Professor Sun has led three national research projects under the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plans, four provincial projects, five municipal projects, and seven industry collaborations. His research has advanced the industrial applications of quantum dot films, Micro-LEDs, electroluminescent quantum dots, and 3D displays.
Industry Contributions: In 2019, Professor Sun initiated the establishment of the Guangdong Microdisplay Industry Technology Innovation Alliance and served as its Chairman, promoting technical innovation, resource sharing, and sustainable development in the microdisplay industry across the Greater Bay Area and beyond. The alliance has organized 15 international conferences on new display technologies since 2018. He has also been instrumental in founding startups such as Pulan Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Stans Technology Co., Ltd., and has numerous industrial collaborations through his research group.
Student Mentorship: Professor Sun actively participates in undergraduate and graduate education, teaching courses such as "Organic Electronics," "Fundamentals of Optoelectronics," "Thin Film Materials and Technology," "iPhone 6 Assembly," and "Glasses-Free 3D Display." Over 90% of students rate his courses highly. Since returning to China, he has supervised 24 undergraduates, with 12 graduates and 12 currently enrolled, and 30 graduate students, with 17 graduates and 13 currently enrolled. His students have won prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal in the 14th "Challenge Cup" Guangdong Student Entrepreneurship Competition, the Gold Medal in the 2024 China International Student Innovation Competition, and funding from the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Strategy Special Fund ("Climbing Plan").
Selected Publications:
1. Zhang X, Liu H, Wang W, et al. "Hybrid perovskite light-emitting diodes based on perovskite nanocrystals with organic–inorganic mixed cations," Advanced Materials, 2017, 29(18): 1606405.
2. Zhao J, Chen L, Li D, et al. "Large-area patterning of full-color quantum dot arrays beyond 1000 pixels per inch by selective electrophoretic deposition," Nature Communications, 2021, 12(1): 4603.
3. Jia S, Tang H, Ma J, et al. "High performance inkjet-printed quantum-dot light-emitting diodes with high operational stability," Advanced Optical Materials, 2021, 9(22): 2101069.
4. Mei G, Wang K, Sun X W. "Competing light extraction strategies in perovskite light-emitting diodes," Nature Nanotechnology, 2024: 1-5.
5. Qu X, Ma J, Liu P, et al. "On the voltage sweep behavior of quantum dot light-emitting diode," Nano Research, 2023, 16(4): 5511-5516.
Selected Patents:
1. Sun X, Surman P. "A multi-view 3D image coding method, device, system, and storage medium," CN114466174B, Guangdong Province, 2023-04-28.
2. Sun X, Liu Z, Wang L, Wei F. "A method for manufacturing LED chips," CN108666212B, Guangdong Province, 2023-01-10.
3. Sun X, Wang K, Bai X, Yang H. "A photoresist and its pixelated photoluminescent color film and its application," CN109709769B, Guangdong Province, 2022-05-24.
4. Sun X, Wang K, Liu Z, Wang L, Hao J, Liu H. "A method for preparing Micro LED display devices," CN107331758B, Guangdong Province, 2019-03-05.
5. Sun X, Wang K, Haochen L I U, et al. Method for preparing fluorescent polarizing film based on directional arrangement of quantum rods: U.S. Patent 11,623,999[P]. 2023-4-11.
6. Sun X, Wang K, Xu B, et al. Backlight module, display device, method for driving display device, electronic apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium: U.S. Patent 11,385,501[P]. 2022-7-12.
Recruitment:
Professor Sun's research group is actively recruiting Research Assistant Professors, Postdoctoral Fellows, and Research Assistants. The positions offer competitive compensation packages. The group also welcomes outstanding students to apply for master's and doctoral programs at SUSTech, with opportunities for joint training with overseas universities. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Professor Sun at [email protected].