Dr. Saw Wai Hla receives Feynman Prize for excellence in nanotechnology experimentation

 Dr. Saw Wai Hla, a professor of physics at Ohio University and a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory was named by the Foresight Institute as the winner of the 2024 Feynman Prize in nanotechnology in the experiment category. The Foresight Institute is a leading nanotechnology public interest organization.

“I'm extremely honored to receive the Feynman Prize in nanotechnology from the Foresight Institute,” Hla said. “It's a wonderful recognition of my work and that of my colleagues at Argonne and Ohio University.”

The award recognizes Hla’s work to develop more complex molecular machines and motors, atomically precise rotation of rare-earth complexes and, most recently, the analysis of a single atom with X-rays. His research in all of these areas could lead to new technologies for microelectronics, quantum computing, medical devices, battery development and more.

Hla, who is also director of the Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute at Ohio University, is a leading researcher in the areas of single atom and molecule manipulation with scanning tunneling microscopy, single-molecule spintronics and molecular machines on surfaces.

“Professor Hla’s result is truly wonderful: it is inspiring, it is collaborative, and it opens the doors for new discoveries,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Matthew Ando. “The Feynman Prize is outstanding recognition for outstanding work.”

Hla has published over 100 articles and has given more than 160 invited talks in 23 countries. He has also served on numerous national and international boards and has been a proposal reviewer and panelist for DOE, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and European funding agencies.

Recently, Hla was also recognized with a Falling Walls Award, being named the laureate of the Physical Sciences category.

Beginning in 1993, the Foresight Institute has annually awarded the Feynman Prize to researchers whose recent work has most advanced the achievement of renown physicist Richard Feynman's goal for nanotechnology: The construction of atomically precise macro products, devices and machines. The Feynman Prize is recognized in the field of nanotechnology for identifying future Nobel laureates; Sir Fraser Stoddart (2007 Feynman Prize winner) and David Baker (2004 Feynman Prize winner) both went on to become Nobel Prize winners in 2016 and 2024, respectively.

The prize includes a $5,000 award and an invitation to an award ceremony, held Dec. 7 in San Francisco. Hla’s work will also receive public acknowledgment and support.

His research was funded by the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences.