From top student in college to scientific research powerhouse

Chapter 66: He taught his apprentice, but starved himself!
Doctoral student's workspace.

Zhang Minghao sat in front of the computer and opened the data analysis file he had created.

Chen Shuai and Chen Lanjun flanked him from the left and right.

"Did you make this? It looks pretty good," Chen Shuai commented with a smile.

Chen Lanjun curled the corners of her mouth and said in a boastful manner, "I taught him several methods."

"Yes, yes, you can do it, you're amazing!"

Chen Shuai praised her in a way that sounded like he was coaxing a child, but he clearly didn't mean it. His expression and demeanor were quite a blow to Chen Lanjun.

Zhang Minghao shook his head with amusement, then began to speak seriously, "Look at this group, the temperature."

"I used a fundamental analysis strategy to first identify data points related to temperature..."

"The next step is to eliminate interfering factors, extract the temperature-related data, and perform calculations on a large scale."

"Using statistical methods..."

He then explained in detail.

Chen Shuai and Chen Lanjun listened attentively.

Zhang Minghao's analysis used basic methods, and while the statistical calculations were novel, they did not deviate from the norm.

They could tell at a glance that there was no problem.

After explaining all the methods, the comparison data was already displayed on the computer.

Chen Shuai took a closer look and found that there was indeed no problem. Judging from the final deviation group, it had reached the level of 'weak correlation'.

He frowned and thought for a moment, "It seems there's no problem."

After thinking about it carefully, he simply said, "Let's leave this one for now and move on to the next one."

The next influencing factor is the width of the surface single-crystal pathway.

The substrates made from bismuth telluride are very similar to semiconductor substrates, being a flat, sheet-like structure on the surface.

But the disk was designed with a series of 'pathways'.

Various semiconductor devices and circuits are manufactured along the pathways, because semiconductors are extremely precise, with each pathway being so small that it cannot be distinguished by the naked eye.

If viewed magnified, the semiconductor substrate can be simply understood as a mold. The molten material is poured onto the mold, and after solidification, the desired shape can be obtained.

Of course, the semiconductor substrate process is much more complex.

The second influencing factor that Zhang Minghao found was the width of the single-crystal pathway on the surface of the bismuth telluride substrate.

"The width of the single-crystal pathway also has an impact."

"Different widths result in different characteristics of the final experimental products. I found that our experiments used substrates with three different channel widths, and when we specifically compared the experimental products, there were actually differences..."

"Teacher Chen, look at these sets of data. When using the averaging comparison method, there will be some bias..."

"They may look the same, but in reality, if we were to proceed further..."

"Because it's statistical data..."

Zhang Minghao continued speaking.

Chen Shuai listened very attentively, nodding repeatedly as he understood.

But even after waiting until the very end, he still couldn't find anything wrong with Zhang Minghao's statistical calculation method, although the final deviation group still showed a 'weak correlation' in the data.

A weak association means that the association may or may not exist.

The 'magnetic correlation' he found was also a weak correlation, so Zhang Minghao's discovery cannot be refuted based on the strength of the correlation.

How do you deny it?

Chen Shuai could only mutter, "Go on with the next one, leave this one for later."

……

An hour later, Chen Shuai came out of the workroom with some documents in his hand.

He furrowed his brows tightly, his eyes fixed on his face, and walked very slowly, even slower than pacing, pausing after every step.

He was in a deep state of thought and was so oblivious to his surroundings that he didn't even notice what was happening around him.

"impossible……"

"How could there be no problem? There must be something wrong. We started analyzing yesterday, and it hasn't even been a day yet..."

"Found six weak correlations?"

"But there's nothing wrong with it. He used standard methods, what could possibly be wrong with it..."

He suddenly came to his senses and slammed his head hard, the force of which made his whole body tremble.

"If it's so easy to find weak associations, why couldn't I find them?"

"It's really weird..."

Chen Shuai was in a terrible mood because he felt like a stupid student.

When faced with a math problem that I just couldn't figure out, I would ask a good student to explain it to me, and then I would immediately understand.

So simple?
Why couldn't he think of that? His eyes were filled with dejection and sorrow as he walked into the main office.

Only Zhu Bingkun remained in the office.

Seeing Chen Shuai's expression, Zhu Bingkun asked in confusion, "Old Chen, weren't you helping Zhang Minghao look at the data?"

"Why that expression..."

"Oh~~~"

Chen Shuai let out a long sigh, "Don't even mention it."

Zhu Bingkun asked curiously, "Did all six sets of connections he found have problems?"

"Oh~~~"

"What do you mean by sighing? Or do you mean there's something correct? That would be great!"

"Oh~~~"

Chen Shuai sighed three times and said, "Don't guess anymore. Let me tell you, all six connections are fine."

"Anyway, I couldn't find the problem; they were all weak correlations, similar to my magnetic correlations."

Zhu Bingkun stared blankly for a long time with his mouth slightly agape, and then he suddenly understood why Chen Shuai was acting this way.

This is a blow!
He immediately realized what was happening and said seriously, "All six groups are weakly correlated? Then let's get ready for the experiment! What are we waiting for!"

He wasn't in the mood to comfort Chen Shuai, so he rushed to the lab to find Xue Kun.

……

Conference room on the second floor of the laboratory.

Zhu Bingkun convened a meeting of all the researchers in the project team. The core of the meeting was to discuss the design of a new experimental plan based on the six correlations discovered by Zhang Minghao.

Zhang Minghao stood on the front platform and listed the six relationships one by one on the blackboard.

He explained the circumstances of each association and also illustrated the tendencies shown by the data.

For example, the single-crystal pathway on the bismuth telluride substrate is narrower than that designed in the second experiment, which helps with the growth of stanene.

For example, the substrate temperature should be controlled below 20 degrees Celsius, and the growth environment temperature must also be controlled within a strict range.

This is not a conclusion from "Correct Perception" or "Associative Perception," but rather a structure discovered through data analysis.

Zhang Minghao discovered that using the special abilities brought by the two systems could not yield the 'optimal value' for every association.

But thinking about it, it's understandable, mainly because there's no underlying theoretical analysis.

Finding the optimal value requires a sufficient theoretical foundation for calculation; experimental data are inherently biased.

From the perspective of system feedback, the problem is beyond his 'understanding' and requires sufficient theoretical research to arrive at an accurate conclusion.

What's needed now is experimentation; only with new data can we conduct analysis.

Zhang Minghao had no advice to offer on experimental design, as every researcher present was more experienced than him.

Zhu Bingkun was in charge of the experimental design, which was based on Zhang Minghao's opinions and then discussed with everyone.

After analyzing and discussing each correlation and the tendency of the data performance, a substrate characteristic correction scheme based on experience was derived.

The meeting lasted two hours, during which the researchers finalized the experimental design.

The next step is Xue Kun's work.

In experiments, the most important thing is to manufacture bismuth telluride substrates that meet expectations, and Xue Kun's forte is staying in the laboratory and performing various first-hand experimental operations.

The experiment sounds massive, but in reality, the bismuth telluride substrate produced was just a disc the size of an ashtray.

The disc has tiny gaps left by various devices.

These precise control operations were all Xue Kun's job. Behind him, through the glass partition, Zhu Bingkun, Chen Shuaihao, and Associate Researcher Zhou Jianyong watched together.

According to the new design, it takes more than 12 hours to manufacture a new bismuth telluride substrate using a standard mold.

Xue Kun would complete these delicate operations in three separate steps.

Others just come over to take a look.

Looking at Xue Kun through the glass window, and then thinking of Zhang Minghao talking eloquently in the conference room, Chen Shuai couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

He said, "I suddenly think it's actually quite good that Zhang Minghao doesn't do experiments with Xue Kun."

"Why do you say that?"

Zhu Bingkun and Zhou Jianyong both looked at Xue Kun.

Chen Shuai sighed and continued, "The ancients said, 'Teach your apprentice and you'll starve.' I didn't understand that before, but today I've learned a good lesson."

“Zhang Minghao spent a day finding six sets of weak associations, while I spent two months finding three sets, two of which were rejected.”

He shook his head. "If Zhang Minghao were my student, focusing on experimental data analysis and calculations, I could declare myself unemployed, right? At most, I could only assist him."

“Look at Xue Kun, he doesn’t let Zhang Minghao learn the experiments, but when it comes to actually doing the experiments, he still has to do it himself…”

"Even if a genius student doesn't participate in the experiments, he will never be replaced!"

(End of this chapter)