Light People: Prof. Kei May Lau, newly elected US NAE member in Hong Kong, talks about future of photonics and women in science

Photonics technology remains a driving force in today’s scientific landscape, marked by continuous innovation and cross-disciplinary relevance. In an enlighting conversation with Light: Science & Applications, Prof. Kei May Lau, a pioneer in photonics research, shares her deep insights on the evolution of technologies of LEDs, lasers, challenges of hetero-epitaxy, and the future of micro-LEDs and quantum dot lasers. Recently honored as a member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for her significant contributions to photonics and electronics using III-V semiconductors on silicon, Prof. Lau stands out as the sole Hong Kong scholar inducted into the NAE this year, joining 114 new and 21 international members. In this exclusive Light People interview, Prof. Lau shares her journey as a pioneering woman in engineering, her commitment to mentorship and academia, and her perspective on advancing female representation in science. The summary provided is distilled from Prof. Lau’s thoughtful responses during the interview. For a deeper exploration of Prof. Lau’s experiences and advice, the full interview is available in the Supplementary material. ; CZG acknowledges the support from CAS Youth Innovation Promotion Association Project [No.20211214], CAST Outstanding Move-Young Talented Editors Project [No.2023ZZ052213], High Profile Journal Grant of the Society of Scientific and Technological Periodicals of Chinese Academy of Sciences.