Post by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Where Innovation Lights the Way 💡 Most people assume light only travels in straight lines, but Prof. Yu Changyuan, Chair Professor of Photonic Information Systems in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Director of the PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Institute, sees a different kind of potential inside optical fibres. 🏆As the sole winner in the Advanced Manufacturing category at the 4th Bank of China Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Prize, he stood out from a competitive pool of nominees, with a unique honour that reflects a career dedicated to the long, quiet grind of laboratory research. Specialising in photonic information systems, Prof. Yu and his team have developed core optical communication technologies like carrier recovery and signal compensation, creating AI-assisted fibre optic sensing systems. They also pioneered low-cost tunable laser chips and advanced metaphotonic devices, successfully breaking through overseas technological monopolies. Bringing this cutting-edge research to commercial fruition has relied deeply on the lifelong support of his family, alongside PolyU's world-class photonics research platforms and interdisciplinary institutes that transform laboratory ideas into practical technologies. Reflecting on the inevitable twists and turns of research and development, Prof. Yu shares a beautiful takeaway: while light can be bent in any direction, a true passion for innovation never wavers. 🎬 Watch the video now to discover Prof. Yu’s incredible scientific journey! Learn more about Prof. Yu’s BOCHK STIP Award in the comments below👇 #PolyU #PolyUScholar #BOCHK #STIP

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