A concept photo of superconductivity material Illustration: VCG

As 2026 marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), topics such as new quality productive forces, basic research and breakthroughs in key core technologies have become major points of discussion during China's ongoing "two sessions." Superconductivity and quantum materials, as key frontier technologies, are widely seen as crucial to overcoming technological bottlenecks and supporting national strategic goals.

In an interview with the Global Times, Zhou Xingjiang, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), shared his views on the development path of superconductivity and quantum materials, the significance of advancing self-developed scientific instruments, and China's transition from a technology follower to a global frontrunner.

Zhou, who has long been engaged in research on superconductivity and quantum materials, once led his team to develop the world's first vacuum ultraviolet laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) system, breaking foreign technological monopolies and providing an important research tool for China's fundamental studies in the field.

When talking about technological innovation, Zhou told the Global Times that what concerns him most is not a specific technological breakthrough, but the broader research environment. In his view, science and technology lie at the core of national competitiveness. To achieve the goal of building China into a science and technology powerhouse by 2035, it is essential to properly balance scientific research and technological application, while the research environment and evaluation mechanisms serve as key "batons" guiding the direction of research and improving efficiency.

He noted that scientific research depends on four key elements: talent, funding, experimental conditions and the broader research environment. He also noted that evaluation mechanisms is particularly crucial. If evaluation criteria are misaligned, even heavy investment in manpower, funding and equipment may fail to produce the desired results.

Drawing on his experience, Zhou said that research - especially basic research - requires a long-term commitment and rarely yields quick results, underscoring the need for a more tolerant and stable research environment and more rational evaluation mechanisms so scientists can focus on sustained work.

In light of this year's Government Work Report, which calls for developing new quality productive forces, strengthening basic research and advancing breakthroughs in key core technologies, Zhou said that progress in superconductivity and quantum materials must also be rooted in basic research. Although superconductivity was discovered more than a century ago, it has yet to see widespread application such as that of semiconductors, mainly due to the strict temperature requirements of superconducting materials.

He explained that superconducting materials have unique properties, including zero electrical resistance and the ability to generate strong magnetic fields. Zero resistance enables power transmission with almost no losses, while strong magnetic fields can support applications such as magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear fusion - areas seen as key drivers of future new quality productive forces. One major goal of current research is to achieve room-temperature superconductivity, which could enable widespread use of the technology across energy, healthcare and computing.

Zhou also noted that the application of superconducting technology in nuclear fusion has drawn increasing global attention. In recent years, a growing number of companies worldwide have focused on nuclear fusion research and development, partly because high-temperature superconducting tapes can significantly reduce the size of fusion devices and lower construction costs.

China is also a participant in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project and has undertaken the development of key components such as the magnet feeder system, a process that has also advanced China's capabilities in low-temperature superconducting materials and magnet technologies, Zhou said.

In the field of basic research, advanced scientific instruments also play a crucial role. A vacuum ultraviolet laser ARPES, independently developed by Zhou's team has provided a key technical tool for studying the electronic structure of superconducting materials, while also breaking the long-standing technological monopoly previously held by foreign players in this field.

He explained that ARPES is a key experimental method for studying superconducting materials, as it allows scientists to observe the internal electronic structure of materials and better understand the mechanisms behind superconductivity.

In the past, such research largely relied on large-scale synchrotron radiation facilities. When Zhou returned to China from the US in 2004, China had not yet built a third-generation synchrotron radiation source. He therefore proposed using laser light to replace synchrotron radiation as the light source, and eventually led his team to complete the design, installation and commissioning of the instrument.

The instrument achieved a major breakthrough in electron energy-spectrum resolution. Its success not only enabled high-level basic research in laboratories but also helped advance China's development of scientific instruments, he said.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China launched dedicated programs to promote the localization of scientific instruments, he added.

Given the long development cycles and high risks involved in developing high-end scientific instruments, Zhou suggested providing more long-term and stable policy support, while establishing a comprehensive support system covering development, operation and upgrades.

Reviewing the trajectory of China's superconductivity research, Zhou said that Chinese scientists have consistently pursued independent innovation and achieved steady progress in areas such as high-temperature superconductivity. He added that basic research should remain open and collaborative, with international exchanges helping researchers track the latest global developments and generate new breakthroughs.

China has achieved a 35.6 tesla all-superconducting magnet in an experiment facility, setting a new record, the CAS said on January 27, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

This achievement provides extremely high-magnetic-field experiment conditions essential for cutting-edge research in fields such as material science and life sciences, according to the CAS. It will help researchers explore unknown phenomena in the micro-world and accelerate major scientific discoveries and technological innovation in basic research and high-end equipment manufacturing in China and the world, Xinhua reported.