SJTU President Zhang Jie is an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, physical scientist in the field of laser plasma, and the President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He and his team have made great contributions in the study of quick fire laser fusion and the study of astrophysics in the intense laser laboratory. On the 24th of September 2015, Zhang won the 2015 Edward Teller Award of the American Nuclear Society. This is the first time that Chinese scientist won the highest prize in this field, which add to the honors to the relative researches in our country.

Zhang Jie is awarded the Edward Teller Medal in recognition of his significant contributions to the study of generation and propagation of hot electrons in laser-plasmas relevant to ICF and reproduction of astrophysical processes.

Zhang Jie, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has made major contributions to understanding laser-plasma interactions including fast electron generation and propagation by high intensity short pulse lasers. Jie received his PhD from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Science in 1988. He joined the Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany as a Humboldt fellow for research in x-ray lasers and laser plasma interactions. He continued his research in these areas at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the University of Oxford from 1990 to 1998. He returned to China to establish a new research laboratory at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Science successfully building a series of short pulse lasers for laser-plasma research. His work on short pulse laser-plasma interactions has led to an understanding of the role of laser prepulse and self-focusing on fast electron generation. He and collaborators have used high-powered lasers to successfully create conditions resembling the vicinity of black holes and model the loop-top x-ray source and reconnection overflow in solar flares. Dr. Zhang has published over 200 papers in international scientific journals. He has received numerous awards and achievements including Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Science and Foreign Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Edward Teller Award was established by the American Nuclear Society, and was named after the "Father of Hydrogen Bomb" Edward Teller. It is the highest prize in the field of nuclear fusion, and is to issue every two year on the International Conference on Inertial Fusion Science Applications (IFSA). Every time there will be two winners, and they must have significant achievements and leadership in the study of generation and propagation of hot electrons in laser-plasmas and controllable thermal energy fusion.

See also:http://www.ifsa15.org/edward-teller-medal.php