The School of Science hosted the first edition of its Journey of Science student talk series this week, inviting three Westlake Ph.D. students to share their experience publishing their research in the renowned journal Nature. Several students turned up to the event, eager to hear what these outstanding doctoral students had to say.

During the talk, the Department of Physics' Hong Caiyun, Ran Pengxu, and Zou Wenjun talked about the challenges they faced during their research journey and how they overcame them before successfully publishing their groundbreaking work in Nature. They also shared some tips on conducting effective research and getting published in top-tier journals as they did.

On March 8, the three students, who are part of Dr. Ruihua He’s team, published a paper titled “Anomalous intense coherent secondary photoemission from a perovskite oxide” as the co-first authors in the journal Nature. Their research discovered the first photocathode quantum material: a reconstructed surface of strontium titanate single crystals.

Photocathodes are a critical foundation for many modern technologies that rely on light detection or electron-beam generation. Their groundbreaking discovery has the potential to revolutionize these technologies and pave the way for future advances in the field.

Hong Caiyun urged the students not to be discouraged by failures they might encounter during their research process. “What we have achieved is remarkable, but it is important to remember that it is the culmination of our countless failures before we made the discovery. So, as a researcher, you should not be afraid of failures as those failures could lead to breakthroughs,” he said.

Zou Wenjun emphasized the significance of seeking advice from senior colleagues and mentors in the field. He also encouraged junior peers to develop scientific research habits and problem-solving skills that will assist them in their research.

Ran Pengxu highlighted the importance of reading widely when embarking on a research project to gain a thorough understanding of the topic and to identify any knowledge gaps that may exist.

The talk became even more lively towards the end when participating students inquired about finding research direction and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

The Journey of Science series is one of several student activities organized by the School of Science, designed to provide students with platforms to exchange their ideas and learn from one another.