PHILADELPHIA — Temple University’s physics department chairman has been charged in an alleged scheme to share information on U.S. technology with China. Federal prosecutors say 47-year-old Xi Xiaoxing, an expert in the field of superconductivity, sought prestigious appointments in China in exchange for data on a device invented by a U.S. firm. Xi is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China.

He appeared in U.S. District Court Thursday on four counts of wire fraud. He has been released on $100,000 bond.

His online faculty profile says Xi joined Temple in 2009. He previously worked at Penn State University.