TJHSST Student Named Siemens National Finalist

From Fairfax County Public Schools:

Lauryn Wu, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) and a resident of McLean, was named a National Finalist in the team category of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. TJHSST is a Fairfax County public school.
Along with teammate Yoshihiro Saito of Maryland, Wu will share a $6,000 scholarship for their project entitled "New Discovery of Large Bulk Band Gap Topological Insulators in Chemically Functionalized Two-Dimensional Compounds."
The team’s computational research could help develop two-dimensional topological insulators (2D TIs) that can be used at room temperature. Currently, 2D TIs are only usable at an extremely low temperature in expensive laboratory settings.
Topological insulators, which allow for electrons to move along the surface of a material instead of through the material, have been a major field of study in physics. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to theoretical physicists for their work in topology. But research in the field has been limited because of the need to cool down topological insulators. 2D TIs usable at room temperature could open up a whole new area of application – such as helping information to be transported without degradation.
Wu has competed in math competitions since elementary school and her accomplishments include being a qualifier in the American Invitational Mathematics Exam in sixth grade and serving as vice president of the National Junior Honor Society. She plays tennis at a national level and wants to pursue a career in science or computer programming.

Image via Fairfax County Public Schools