Research experience and interests

Jie Zhang received his PhD degree in 1988 at the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Just after he got his PhD degree, he joined the Max-Planck-Institute for Quantenoptik in Germany as an Alexander-von-Humboldt fellow to carry out the research on x-ray lasers and laser plasma interaction. In the period of 1990-1998, he worked on x-ray lasers and laser plasma physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the University of Oxford in the UK. During the ten-year period abroad, he made many achievements on x-ray lasers and laser-plasma physics.

With his best wishes to make greater contributions to his motherland, Dr. Jie Zhang returned to China in 1998 and joined the Institute of Physics, CAS. Facing great difficulties at the beginning, he has teamed up a group of young returnee scientists and has, little by little, raised funds to build their own powerful laser systems, advanced target chambers and sophisticated diagnostic instruments, with their own hands. Together with his colleagues, he made great contribution to the development of fast-ignition related physics and greatly deepened the understanding of high power laser interaction with matter.

Since 1999, he has been a professor and deputy Director of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Associate Director and Director of Laboratory of Optical Physics. In 2003, he was appointed Director General of the Bureau of Basic Sciences of CAS. In 2006, he was appointed President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which is one of the most important universities in China.

Because of his academic achievements and professional services, Dr. Zhang was elected the President of Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies (AAPPS) and the member of the German Academy of Sciences Neopoldina in 2007; Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003. His research has been recognized by TWAS with the 2007 TWAS Prize in Physics; by the Chinese State Council with the Natural Sciences Prize in 2006; by the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation with the award of the Science and Technology Progress Award in 2006; by the Overseas Chinese Physical Society (USA) with the 2004 Achievement in Asia Award; etc.

Selected publications

1. S.M.Weng, Z.M.Sheng, M.Q.He, J.Zhang, P.A.Norreys, M.Sherlock, and A.P.L.Robinson, "Plasma Currents and Electron Distribution Functions under a dc Electric Field of Arbitrary Strength", Phys. Rev. Lett., 100, 185001 (2008).
2. L.M.Chen, M.Kando, M.H.Xu, Y.T.Li, J.Koga, M.Chen, H.Xu, X.H.Yuan, Q.L.Dong, Z.M.Sheng, S.V.Bulanov, Y.Kato, J.Zhang, and T.Tajima, "Study of X-Ray Emission Enhancement via a High-Contrast Femtosecond Laser Interacting with a Solid Foil", Phys. Rev. Lett., 100, 045004 (2008).
3. LM Chen, M Kando, MH Xu, YT Li, J Koga, M Chen, H Xu, XH Yuan, QL Dong, ZM Sheng, SV Bulanov, Y Kato, J Zhang, T Tajima, "Study of X-Ray Emission Enhancement via a High-Contrast Femtosecond Laser Interacting with a Solid Foil", Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 045004 (2008).
4. YT Li, XH Yuan, MH Xu, ZY Zheng, ZM Sheng, M Chen, YY Ma, WX Liang, QZ Yu, Y Zhang, F Liu, ZH Wang, ZY Wei, W Zhao, Z Jin, and J Zhang, "Observation of a Fast Electron Beam Emitted along the Surface of a Target Irradiated by Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulses", Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 165003 (2006).
5. TT Xi, X Lu, J Zhang, "Interaction of Light Filaments Generated by Femtosecond Laser Pulses in Air", Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 025003-4 (2006).
6. T Yang, Q Zhang, TY Chen, S Lu, J Yin, JW Pan, ZY Wei, JR Tian, J Zhang, "Experimental synchronization of independent entangled photo sources", Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 110501 (2006).
7. ZM Sheng, Kunioki Mima, Heiji Sanuki, J Zhang, "Emission of Electromagnetic Pulses from Laser Wakefields through Linear Mode Conversion", Phys. Rev. Lett. 94，095003-095006 (2005).
8. YT Li, J Zhang, ZM Sheng, H Teng, TJ Liang, XY Peng, X Lu and XW Tang, "High-energy electrons and x-ray photons emitted by water plasmas produced by femtosecond laser pulses", Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 1650021-4 (2003).
9. ZM Sheng, K Mima, Y Sentoku, MS Jovanovic, T Taguchi, J Zhang and J Meyer-ter-Vehn, "Stochastic heating and acceleration of electrons in colliding laser fields in plasmas", Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 0550041-4 (2002).
10. LM Chen, J Zhang, YT Li, H Teng, TJ Liang, ZM Sheng, and XW Tang, "Effects of laser polarization on jet emission of fast electrons in ultrashort pulse laser-palsmas", Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 225001-4 (2001).
11. ZM Sheng, Y Sentoku, K Mima, J Zhang, W Yu and J Meyer-ter-Vehn, "Angular distribution of fast electrons, ions and Bremsstrahlung X/gamma rays in intense laser interaction with solid targets", Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 5340-5343 (2000).
12. J Zhang, AG MacPhee, J Lin, E Wolfrum, R Smith, C Danson, MH Key, CLS Lewis, D Neely, J Nilsen, GJ Pert, GJ Tallents and JS Wark，"A saturated x-ray laser beam at 7 nm", Science 276, 1097 (1997).
13. J Zhang, AG MacPhee, J Nilsen, J Lin, TW Barbee Jr, MH Key, CLS Lewis, D Neely, RMN O'Rourke, GJ Pert, R Smith, GJ Tallents, JS Wark and E Wolfrum，"Demonstration of saturation in a Ni-like Ag x-ray laser at 14 nm", Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3856 (1997).
14. P A Norreys, M Zepf, A P Fews, S Moustaizis, J Zhang, P Lee, M Bakarezos, C N Danson, A Dyson, P Gibbon, P Loukakos, D Neely, F N Walsh, J S Wark and A E Dangor, "Efficient XUV harmonics generated from picosecond laser pulse interactions with solid targets", Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 1832 (1996).
15. J Zhang, MH Key, PA Norreys, GJ Tallents, A Behjat, C Danson, A Demir, L Dwivedi, M Holden, PB Holden, CLS Lewis, A G MacPhee, D Neely, GJ Pert, SA Ramsden, S J Rose, YF Shao, O Thomas, F Walsh, YL You，"Demonstration of high gain in a recombination x- ray laser at 18.2 nm driven by a 20 J, 2 ps glass laser", Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 1335(1995).