Gazing at the distant road vanishing into the horizon（望尽天涯路）

 

 

After obtaining my master's degree in 1988 (the title of my master's thesis is The effects of rare earth metals on the superplasticity of Al-Zn-Mg alloys), I sensed that superplasticity, NSFC, and Tsinghua University are somehow related. Firstly, I will use superplasticity to apply for a project from NSFC; Secondly, I will use superplasticity to apply for a PhD degree at Tsinghua University.

It took me 5 years to get the first NSFC project, until 1993 the fifth proposal was approved; it took me 12 years to obtain a PhD from Tsinghua University, until 2000 I finished my oral defense.

In December 1991, I knew a professor, Mr. Chen Nanping, at Tsinghua University, and hope that he could aid my research in superplasticity, I asked him to write me a specialist recommendation letter for my NSFC proposal. Professor Chen wrote the letter, but the proposal still did not get approved. Before this, my application for NSFC funding was rejected three times, the probability of success for these four applications are all zero.

In 1992, I published a book with China Press of Broadcast & Television; the title of the book is Rubik's Cube and Its Application. After writing about Rubik'scube, my proposal for NSFC project included some ideas of a kick in one's gallop including the problem of Rubik's cube.

In July 1993, before all the departments of NSFC organized the project evaluation meetings, I mailed the pre-prepared three copies of Rubik's Cube and Its Application to DivisionⅠof Materials Science of NSFC, one for each administrator, and people say that the Division head brought my book to the project evaluation meeting.

In October 1993, as a lecturer at China University of Petroleum, I obtained my first NSFC funded project, Dissipative Structural Model of Superplasticity and Its Research in Metal Physics, with "Rubik's cube" and the heavily modified proposal.

         At the same time, I was introduced to Cheng Kaijia, winner of the Two Bombs and One Satellite Award and Member of the Chinese Academy of Science, to study the TFDC model. I have being focusing on TFDC electron density.

I researched superplasticity for 12 years, getting NSFC funding twice, and the main result is getting a “diffusion-dissolution zone model”, at the same time achieved the transition from superplasticity to TFDC model. After that, I had the idea of atomic phase diagram, which is a theoretical model for atomic assembly technology in the future. This theoretical model can be called the TFDC atomic assembly theory and the initial results are published in the Progress in Natural Science in 2004. The final goal of my research will be establishing the TFDC atomic assembly theory, which is centered on the concept of TFDC electron density and its applications.

 

 

With my master's degree, I worked as a lecturer of China University of Petroleum located in the city of Dongying at the delta of the Yellow River. I knew from the very start that the lack of instrumentation and funding would cause some physical hardship with the byproduct of some wisdom. This is the equivalence principle of nature.

During the time as a graduate student, I learned a set of skills on my own, which is the use of hand saws, files, and bench clamps to prepare samples for stretching tests. Upon graduation and return to China University of Petroleum in 1988, I often visited a storage place for old and broken equipments and sometimes able to get usable equipments. 4 years later, I made a superplasticity-testing machine using the gear system from a bicycle and 4 box-like ovens. The first try on a Zn-5Al alloy sample gave an elongation of 5000%.

From 1993 to 2000, I spend 8 years to explain the experimental result of 5000% and finally obtaining a “diffusion-dissolution zone model”.

When studying the TFDC model of Professor Kaijia Cheng, I never gave up my chosen topic of superplasticity, because my second goal, which was obtaining PhD degree from Tsinghua University, has not yet been realized. Moreover, I did not directly participate in the research group of Professor Cheng, but instead wanted to make the transition from superplasticity to TFDC model in my own way. More than 10 years has past since, I realized my ideas and achieved my transitional goals.

During these years, I looked up more than 3000 articles concerning TFD electron density involving many journals since the first day of publishing. Some examples include, Physical Review Series (1893 to now), Journal of Physical Chemistry (1896 to now), Journal of Applied Physics (1931 to now), Journal of Chemical Physics (1933 to now), Advances in Physics (1952 to now), and Journal of Physics (1968 to now). (This work was finished at UBC library Vancouver)

I now have a rather complete understanding of the development of the concept of electron density, and also realized that the major originality of Professor Kaijia Cheng’s TFDC model is the concept of TFDC electron density.

To sum it up: scientific thought is the soul, instrumentation and funding are at the most some flesh, but the scientific spirit is the backbone.

 

 

From 1988 when I graduated with the master's degree, performing scientific research independently for me is like crossing the river by feeling the rocks in the dark, without any light towers, without guides, and without any sound from the other side of the shore. During these times, I still hoped of meeting some real great masters in the same field, in order to communicate ideas and get some kind of help.

In 1993, when I first met Professor Cheng Kaijia, I only know that Professor Cheng wrote a textbook in solid state physics. When I learned that TFDC model is the area of Professor Cheng's daily research for over 50 years, intuitions told me this is an opportunity, because the material science DivisionⅠof NSFC will organize the personnel of the 6 general programs to participate in a 3-year academic activity.

          In 1998, the Guide to NSFC Programsprogram called The Effects of Interface Electron Distribution in Multi-layer Material on the Properties of the Material. I wrote an Introduction to TFDC ModelThe Effects of Interface Electron Distribution in Multi-layer Material on the Properties of the Material. with 30 pages as appendix for the proposal, which discussed how to develop the TFDC model. Therefore, I obtained the third NSFC project; the title also is clearly showed Cheng's theory as a key

On one hand, I was writing my PhD dissertation based on research concerning superplasticity; on the other hand, I was trying to unlock the central idea of The Effects of Interface Electron Distribution in Multi-layer Material on the Properties of the Material. It is very important that the TFDC electron density can describe the contact interface of the heterogeneous atoms. However, the multi-layer materials contain different kinds of atoms in different layers.

As a side note, the Zn-Al eutectic alloy used for my superplasticity research has layered microscopic structure. The zone in which Al phase and Zn phase are in contact is the interface layer, and thickness of this interface layer can vary under the effects of diffusion and dissolution.

After much thought, the word layer is right here in the title. The answer to the problem I thought for many years is just the word “layer”. The problem troubled me since 1993, which is the transition from superplasticity to TFDC model, the key to the transition is a bridge, and at this time it is very clear to me that the bridge is based on “layer”.

In 2000, I combined the experimental results during the years and the word “layer” in my thinking, and wrote the result into my PhD dissertation, which finally formed the central idea of “diffusion-dissolution zone”, and is emphasized throughout the dissertation. The dissertation is perused by Professor Chen Nanping of Tsinghua University, which later became the final version. I used 4 more years to extend the meaning of “diffusiondissolution zone”, and expand the PhD dissertation into a book, Diffusion Dissolution Zone in Interface, and the Chinese version was published in 2006 with funding from the publishing foundation of NSFC.

After meeting Professor Cheng Kaijia, I became very interested in his TFDC electron density. After explaining several experimental results with TFDC electron density, I began to focus my attention on the meaning and originality of TFDC electron density through searching the original articles. The major question is what is the significance of TFDC electron density?

          I realized that an atomic assembly theory could be formulated from TFDC electron density. People first made bricks from sand and soil, then use bricks to build houses. By the same token, first assemble the atoms into “atomic bricks” and predict some parameters of the “atomic bricks”; then use them to build materials or nano device whose technical properties are predicted by some models.

In 1993, the material science Division I of NSFC introduced me to Professor Cheng Kaijia, winner of the Two Bombs and One Satellite Award and Member of the Chinese Academy of Science through cooperated management method of general program, which gave me a chance to discuss the TFDC model with Professor Cheng. If this kind of opportunity is a seed, then the TFDC atomic assembly theory I am currently working on is a tender seedling.

When will the seedling blossom and bear fruit? It could be many years later!