Jun Ye received his undergraduate degree in applied physics at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, MS in physics at the University of New Mexico; and PhD from the University of Colorado. He has been a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder since 1999.

Ye is a Fellow of JILA, a joint institute of NIST and University of Colorado. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of NIST, the American Physical Society, and OSA. His research focuses on the frontier of light-matter interactions and includes precision measurement, quantum physics and ultracold matter, optical frequency metrology, and ultrafast science. He has co-authored over 300 scientific papers and has delivered 500 invited talks. Awards and honors include US Presidential Rank (Distinguished) Award, three Gold Medals from the U.S. Commerce Department, Frew Fellowship from the Australian Academy of Science, I. I. Rabi Prize from the American Physical Society, European Frequency and Time Forum Award, Carl Zeiss Research Award, William F. Meggers Award, Adolph Lomb Medal, Arthur S. Flemming Award, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, Friedrich Wilhem Bessel Award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and Samuel Wesley Stratton Award from NIST.