Share with us how your interest in physics started.
It started from a popular science book called “100000 Whys”. This book ignited my curiosity to natural science when I was in primary school. Reading good popular science books can play a crucial role in cultivating children’s interest in science at an early stage. Though I did not really understand the science behind at that time, it did open the door of natural science to me. Among all the natural sciences, physics, a science that deals with the fundamental workings of the universe, was the most attractive to me. I was impressed that the physical world can be explained or described by very simple equation or formula.

What was your experience like as a Master’s student in the department and how instrumental was it to your PhD study?
It was an important and indispensable experience that led to my present academic career. There were two parts in my two-year Master’s study in the Department of Physics: coursework and research projects. On the one hand, the courses I took laid a solid theoretical foundation for my research later. On the other hand, they helped me sort out the research direction of my interest, which is in the field of quantum systems. I was not quite clear whether I should work on theoretical or experimental physics at that time. My Master’s project gave me a valuable ‘trial’ opportunity in exploring my PhD direction. From this, I finally figured out that I am better at theoretical and computational physics and this would be my research direction in my PhD study.