Prof Iam Keong Sou currently is a professor in the Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He got his PhD in physics at University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been a faculty member in the Department of Physics at HKUST since July 1991. From June to September in 1992, he carried out visiting research in the Department of Physics at Northwestern University (USA). During 2001-2005, he served as the vice president of the Physical Society of Hong Kong. He was a member of the Asia-Pacific Advisory Committee of Institute of Physics (IOP) in 2010. Currently Prof Sou’s researches focus on the studies of the  growth models and physical properties of low-dimensional metallic and semiconductor nanostructures, topological insulator  and two-dimensional (2D) materials, UV optoelectronic materials and devices. He has published more than 160 refereed papers and owns 4 U.S. patents, one Australian patent and one Chinese patent. He is a co-recipient of The 2012 Macau Special Administrative Region Technological Invention Award. Prof Sou was also awarded The 2004 HKUST Excellence Teaching Innovation Award (member of the winning team) and The 2007 HKUST Excellence Teaching Innovation Award (leader of the winning team).

Growth mechanisms and characterization of MBE-grown low-dimensional nano-materials including ferromagnetic metals, semiconductors, topological insulators, superconductors and 2D quantum materials, as well as their applications in optoelectronics and  renewable energy.

“A Compact Solid-State UV Flame Sensing System Based on Wide-Gap II-VI Thin Film Materials”, Yi Liu, Liang-Xi Pang, Jing Liang, Man-Kit Cheng, Jia Jun Liang, Jun Shu Chen, Ying-Hoi Lai and Iam-Keong Sou, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, v. 65, (3), 8012541, 2737-2744 (2018). "High performance CaS solar-blind ultraviolet photodiodes fabricated by seed-layer-assisted growth", Qing Lin He, Ying Hoi Lai, Yi Liu, Emeline Beltjens, Jie Qi and Iam Keong Sou, Appl. Phys. Lett., 107, 181903 (2015). "Two-dimensional superconductivity at the interface of a Bi2Te3/FeTe heterostructure", Qing Lin He, Hongchao Liu, Mingquan He, Ying Hoi Lai, Hongtao He, Gan Wang, Kam Tuen Law, Rolf Lortz, Jiannong Wang, Iam Keong Sou, Nature Communications, 5:4247 (2014). "Formation Mechanism of Superconducting Fe1+xTe/Bi2Te3 Bilayer Synthesized via Interfacial Chemical Reactions" Gan Wang, Qing Lin He, Hong-Tao He, Hongchao Liu, Mingquan He, Jiannong Wang, Rolf Lortz, George Wong, Iam Keong Sou, Crystal Growth & Design (ACS Publications), 14 (7), pp 3370–3374 (2014). "Molecular beam epitaxy-grown wurtzite MgS thin films for solar-blind ultra-violet detection", Y. H. Lai, Q. L. He, W. Y. Cheung, S. K. Lok, K. S. Wong, S. K. Ho, K. W. Tam, and I. K. Sou, Applied Physics Letters 102, 171104 (2013).  "Surface Reactivity Enhancement on a Pd/Bi2Te3 Heterostructure through Robust Topological Surface States", Qing Lin He, Ying Hoi Lai, Yao Lu, Kam Tuen Law and Iam Keong Sou, Scientific Reports, 3 : 2497 (2013). "Impurity effect on weak anti-localization in topological insulator Bi2Te3", H. T. He, G. Wang, T. Zhang, I. K. Sou, G. K. L. Wong, and J. N. Wang, H. Z. Lu, S. Q. Shen, and F. C. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett, 106, 166805 (2011).  "MBE-grown Ni3Se4/ZnSe Heterostructured Nanowires ", G. Wang, S. K. Lok, G. K. L. Wong, I. K. Sou, Small 7, 1546-1551 (2011).  "The formation of an aligned 1D nanostructure on annealed Fe/ZnSe bilayers", G. Wang, S. K. Lok, S. K. Chan, C. Wang, G. K. L. Wong, I. K. Sou, Nanotechnology, 20, 215607 (4 ) (2009). "The size-dependent growth direction of ZnSe nanowires", Y. Cai, S.K. Chan, I.K. Sou, Y.F. Chan, D.S. Su and N. Wang, Advanced Materials 18, 109-114 (2006).