Ling Lu is a Chinese physicist known for his pioneering work in topological photonics, a field that applies concepts from topological physics to control the behavior of light in engineered materials. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Fudan University and later completed his M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. at the University of Southern California, where his research focused on photonic crystal nanocavity lasers. After receiving his doctorate, he conducted postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contributing to foundational advances in topological photonics. He is currently a professor and research group leader at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, where his work explores photonic crystals, Weyl points, and robust light-based devices, earning him international recognition and multiple scientific awards.