Yan Qiang next to him watched all this silently without saying a word.
He looked at the piece of braised pork left in his lunch box, then looked at the plain cabbage rice in Zhou Zhe's bowl. There was no expression on his dark face, but he stretched out his chopsticks, picked up the piece of braised pork in his lunch box, and placed it on the rice that Zhou Zhe had just passed over.
"Comrade Xiao Zhou, studying requires your brain, and eating vegetables without oil and water won't do."
Zhou Zhe was stunned when he saw the braised pork that suddenly appeared in the bowl. He opened his mouth and wanted to refuse.
Yan Qiang stood up and said, "I'm full. I'm going to wash the dishes."
Zhou Zhe didn't say anything more. He lowered his head, picked up the chopsticks, and started eating with big mouthfuls.
Li Wei and Chen Peng looked at each other and saw smiles in each other's eyes.
Li Wei naturally changed the subject and pointed to the notice on the wall about visiting the lab. "Hey, look, the notice says you can't bring bags into the lab. You have to store your bags outside..."
…
At 2:50 in the afternoon, the Physics Department's 1978 freshman class, led by their counselor Wang Jianguo, marched towards the old building deep inside the Physics Department, which was heavily guarded and had ivy-covered walls. It was the site of the State Key Laboratory.
Strict registration is required to enter the laboratory, and all backpacks must be checked in.
Everyone put on the uniformly issued white lab coat, which was a bit old but washed very clean, and put on gloves.
The lecturer was an associate professor named Li, with gray hair and thick glasses.
"Students, welcome to one of our key laboratories in the Department of Physics—the Precision Measurement and Vacuum Physics Laboratory." Professor Li's voice boomed, echoing throughout the spacious and tall laboratory. "Much of the equipment here was developed by us in response to the nation's call, through self-reliance and overcoming difficulties! Although the conditions are difficult, our comrades are full of energy!"
He first showed everyone a massive vacuum system filled with valves, pressure gauges, and copper pipes. At its core was a gleaming stainless steel chamber.
Professor Li said with pride, "This is a high-vacuum coating system we designed and built ourselves. The core vacuum chamber is made from scrapped aviation materials! The ultimate vacuum level can reach 10^-5 Torr."
Don't underestimate this number; it represents the product of countless hours of hard work! Through electron beam evaporation and sputtering technology, metal or dielectric films can be deposited on glass or silicon to manufacture optical components, such as the highly reflective mirrors and anti-reflection coatings that our country urgently needs, as well as basic components for semiconductor research..."
As Professor Li was introducing the success of domestically produced equipment in overcoming difficulties, a voice with a distinct sense of alienation sounded from the back of the group, interrupting his explanation:
"10^-5 Torr?" Zhao Rui folded his arms, leaning against a workbench. "Professor Li, according to the latest review article in Physics Today, similar equipment at Bell Labs and the Max Planck Institute in West Germany has a stable operating vacuum degree of 10^-9 to 10^-10 Torr.
Is the background pressure of 10^-5 Torr too significant for studying surface physics effects, such as adsorption and desorption dynamics, or certain semiconductor processes that require ultra-clean surfaces? The gap between us and the most advanced international standards seems to be even greater than we imagined.
He deliberately mentioned the names and specific data of foreign journals, which seemed particularly profound in that information-impoverished era.
Many students showed embarrassed expressions on their faces.
Professor Li pushed up his thick glasses, and the pride on his face faded.
"Mr. Zhao Rui is very well-informed and speaks the truth."
He spoke in a steady tone without evading any ambiguity, "The international frontier is indeed pursuing a higher degree of vacuum.
However, we had to rely on our own technicians and craftsmen to build this equipment bit by bit, using abacus to calculate parameters and the most rudimentary machine tools and components under the conditions of poverty and blockade!
Its significance lies first in breaking the blockade and solving the problem of existence or non-existence.
10^-5 Torr is fully sufficient for many of the applied research we are currently conducting, such as certain high-temperature resistant optical films for the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building and wear-resistant coatings developed for the Ministry of Machinery, and has achieved practical results.
We must eat our meals one bite at a time and walk our path one step at a time. We should not deny the fruits of our hard work just because we fall behind temporarily."
Zhao Rui seemed to have not expected the professor to be so frank. He pursed his lips and stopped refutation, but the disapproval on his face did not completely disappear.
Lu Qingyang looked at a domestically produced SC-16 optical oscilloscope and several glass samples coated with aluminum films of different thicknesses in the display cabinet next to it.
He thought for a moment, then asked:
"Professor Li, you just mentioned the application of wear-resistant coatings. I noticed the film thickness monitoring signal recorded by this oscilloscope.
I'd like to ask, in addition to serving basic research in optics and semiconductors, can this real-time monitoring technology for thin film deposition processes, with its precise control concept, be applied to a wider range of industrial fields?
For example, in local small and medium-sized machinery factories, the key moving parts on the equipment are more prone to wear and tear.
If there is a relatively simple and cost-effective technology to coat the surface of these components with a layer of hard alloy film, even at the micron level, can their lifespan be significantly extended?
For this kind of application, can the vacuum requirements be more relaxed than those in cutting-edge physics research?
Lu Qingyang's problem, from a completely unexpected "low-end" perspective, directly brought the high-end laboratory technology to the practical needs of the county-run factories and community-run factories that were springing up everywhere.
This leap of thought was so big that it startled everyone.
Professor Li slapped his thigh suddenly and said, "Okay, good question. Student, what is your name?"
"Lu Qingyang."
"Student Lu Qingyang, your idea is so valuable."
Professor Li's voice was filled with excitement. "Yes, vacuum coating technology isn't just something that's confined to academic circles. It's a powerful surface treatment method in itself. The surface enhancement of mechanical components you mentioned is a perfect stage for it to demonstrate its capabilities."
And you hit the nail on the head. For industrial wear-resistant coatings, the vacuum requirement can indeed be appropriately lowered to 10^-4 or even 10^-3 Torr. Combined with the appropriate process, it is entirely achievable.
The key lies in precisely controlling the film composition, thickness, and bonding, which is exactly what our monitoring system can guarantee.”
He pointed at the optical oscilloscope and said, "If we simplify the equipment, reduce costs, and promote it to local factories to solve practical production problems, then we can truly put 'science and technology first in production'! Your idea is very inspiring!"
Professor Li's generous praise instantly transformed Lu Qingyang's question from "cross-border" to "foresight".
Zhao Rui stood aside, watching Lu Qingyang being praised so highly by the professor for coming up with a "rustic" idea, with an indescribable expression on his face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
