HEFEI - Renowned Chinese quantum physicist Pan Jianwei is this year's ZEISS Research Award for his contributions to the field of optical quantum information, according to the University of Science and Technology of China where he works as a professor.

One of the most remarkable results of Pan's research is the distribution of entangled photons over a distance of 1,200 km, by far the longest distance ever reached, ZEISS said in an announcement on its website, noting that he has also contributed significantly to the development of optical quantum computing.

ZEISS is a technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. The award is presented every two years to those who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the field of optics or photonics.

The award will be presented to Pan in 2021 due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, ZEISS said.