笔辞蝉迟罢颈尘别：12/27/2017
Klaus-Dieter Liss is Technion Full Professor at the Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Physics at the RWTH Aachen after he graduated at the TU München in Germany. With over 30 years in neutron and synchrotron radiation, he is a leading pioneer for their applications in materials physics. He has been employed at the Institut Laue Langevin, France; the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France; the GKSS and DESY Research Centers Germany; the Japan Atomic Energy Agency; Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization; Dr. Klaus-Dieter Liss published over 100 papers in scientific journals.
Can you briefly introduce your research to us?
My scientific research focuses on the utilization of quantum beams to the advanced understanding of materials. Both neutron and synchrotron X-rays are available at large-user facilities to which we travel worldwide in order to perform the best state-of-the-art experiments one can achieve nowadays. My specialty is to establish new insights into the structure and dynamics of materials, especially time-resolved under in-situ, in-operandi conditions, merging the disciplines between instrumentation, materials physics and chemistry, and engineering. One major focus is on metals, alloys, including engineering materials, which undergo thermo-mechanical processing. On this subject I have developed new neutron and synchrotron X-ray methods such as what I call the Materials Oscilloscope. With time-resolved synchrotron radiation, we can trace the microstructural information at plastic deformation and recovery processes during processing, such as forging, extrusion and rolling. A second rail is the investigation of functional materials under external stimulus. Examples are electromagnetic and chemical response to a material, covering e.g. multiferroics, energy materials and nonlinear materials. Such materials may show phase transitions or other structural response to external stimulus. Of course temperature is an important parameter to which I recently added extreme conditions. Such sophisticated methods not only bear experimental challenges but furthermore more complete scattering theories have to be applied for their full exploitation. The advanced characterization of materials enhances their development by orders of magnitude and the research will be complemented by novel approaches of quantum beam techniques on a fundamental level, opening additional dimensions. In addition the work has interdisciplinary applications into the fields of chemistry and geology.
?
Notebooks of Prof. Klaus
Would you please give us more concrete examples for your research？
Most of my career I have worked in large user facilities, such as synchrotrons and neutron sources. They are multi-billion dollar infrastructure running between 20 and 50 beamlines and end stations simultaneously. Researchers from all over the world access these facilities for performing experiments in typically 3-7 days, so that these institutes become a huge academic melting pot, which I experienced since the first day as a student. As a postdoc and scientist, I gave user support, i.e. working as a specialist on particular research with the academics. Even more, I had to tutor them in the field, transfer my experience to them and participate as a lecturer in neutron and synchrotron schools. In 1998/99 I lectured advanced diffraction theories at the University of Erlangen in Germany and held tutorials in crystallography. It was clear for me that academics is the drive for doing this kind of high-level experimental research. During the past 20 years, I always supervised and co-supervised graduate and PhD students, and postdocs for which I dedicate a lot of time. After long collaboration and student supervision with the University of Wollongong I became officially an Honorary Professor, that is the same academic standing, rights and duties as a full professor but salary employed from my home institution, in this case the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. I lectures in Materials Engineering, predominantly on characterization including X-ray diffraction, electron, crystallography, microscopy. Many times, I have organized symposia on applications in synchrotron and neutron scattering at large international conferences, and held tutorials, including at TMS and MRS in the USA, Thermec and Pricm around the world. Conference participation is predominantly important for academic exchange and while typing these words, I am on a flight to the 2017 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston. There, I will meet my international collaborators to discuss our present and future research projects, seek ideas for getting students and funding, will go to tutorials how to make better presentations and how to give outreach, will participate in the symposia, listening to talks and? actively involved in the discussions. I will have my own talk, representing myself GTIIT for the first time in such event. Over the years, I have given over 100 talks and close to 50 invited and keynote talks – the latter are an important measure for academic performance. Conference organization initiated me editing proceedings, and eventually to edit special issues in academic journals. Such activity gives a lot of academic exposure to a world surrounding community. I was successful and did not fear the challenge to create a new journal, entitled 'Quantum Beam Science' being Editor-in-Chief. Luckily, I could recruit an Editorial Board of very senior people, showing that interest and support from the community. Others will counter-play and boycott, so it is a real challenge! This year, 2017, we have published the first issues, and I just recruited new Guest Editors to run a Special Issue on Strain Stress and Texture Analysis in materials. The publisher, MDPI exposes at the MRS meeting I am going to. I will meet many publishers, editors, editor-in-chief's -and authors! Some? journals hold special receptions, with scientific highlight presentations and awards. The program for the week is full – no time to get over the jet lag!
?
Why did you choose to study physics? What does it mean to you?
I was told that even as a little child I have been a most curious boy to look into the understanding of nature. At school dormitory, my room was full of electronics bits and pieces, such as electron tubesand valves, disassembled radios and TV, and self-constructed radio emitters. I wanted to understand the physics of such devices and electromagnetic waves, 're-inventing' myself circuits and concepts, which after a study of physics are obvious. I took the pump from a fridge to create a vacuum in a jar to study luminescence by electric gas discharges with the high voltage supplied by a television set generator.? At the same time, I was fascinated in astronomy and functional analysis, plotted in my spare time polynomials and planet orbits. The interest grew and it came naturally to a university study of general physics. Focusing on the big image of the world, I took many special lectures in astronomy and particle physics – from the biggest to the smallest objects mankind imagines and seeks to understand. As an undergraduate, I worked in a one of the world's first biophysics lab, when the professor spontaneously asked me whether I was interested to go as a trainee to the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble (France), at the time being the most established neutron scattering facility in the world. At that moment, my career in international large user-facility based research had been initiated. Here, I came more and more in contact with materials, and I remember the wise words of one of my mentors: “You will be astonished how much interesting physics is contained in materials science”. Looking back, this was one of the best advice I could get.
?
Did do you have a vision of your career after completing your PhD degree?
At completion of my PhD degree, my vision was clearly towards a research and academic career. Even nowadays, I still have that drive for fundamental understanding and knowledge, which I like to further expand and hand on to the students. It has been a job-hunting after PhD and I eventually received four offers at various large user facilities, including a European Fellowship to go to Japan, my largest ambition. At that time came in the offer from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the largest and going to be the most performing synchrotron in the world. I had to accept this great opportunity to work at such and international facility, which just had been switched on, and the first tasks were to install beamlines and instruments, pioneering applications into the materials with such unprecedented kind of capabilities. I always sought to stay in the field and pursuit my scientific and academic goals, eventually to become a professor, which is a bumpy way asking for flexibility in jobs, family and life. This way, I lived in many countries, Germany, France, Australia, Japan – and now in China. The GTIIT awakes in me this pioneering spirit, building up new great infrastructure, bearing many exciting and challenging tasks in both teaching and research. Coming here is not the end of my vision, but the beginning of a new, larger one with new opportunities and goals.
* The ESRF is the world's most intense X-ray source and a centre of excellence for fundamental and innovation-driven research in condensed and living matter science. Located in Grenoble, France, the ESRF owes its success to the international cooperation of 22 partner nations, of which 13 are Members and 9 are Associates.
What are your impressive life experiences that motivate you to become a scientist?
Probably, I have said much already about my motivation throughout my career. Two weeks ago, I have been at J-PARC in Japan to perform neutron studies on titanium aluinides under extreme conditions. With the huge, several-thousand ton press Atsuhime we compressed a little volume containing a 5 mm small furnace and therein a 3 mm large specimen, reaching pressures of 10 GPa and temperatures up to 1800 K. The J-PARC facility is of kilometers size, containing an accelerator, a synchrotron and a neutron spallation target in the Materials and Life Science facility. This neutron source alone hosts 20 beamlines up to 100 m length, contained in a huge experimental hall. Diffractometers are so large that you walk inside when changing the sample. After 31 years, I must say, this large infrastructure fascinates me still as much as the first time* I stepped into it as a student, in August 1986! And the fascinating experiment - no experiment is easy, every has its challenges, be it environment, sample behavior beam optics … When you get the data and see the one thing you are working for, or even find the unexpected new discovery, that is most exciting, that is when the blood gets boiling and the adrenalin pumping. Late at night, or even at beginning dawn, when taking the bicycle to the guest house for a nap, passing that kilometer long accelerator, you get a warm feeling, thinking, man, all that for your tiny little sample! I wished I've had already a GTIIT student with me, with whom to share and hand on this experience and excitement!
* "The first time" means the day when Klaus experienced such facility in his position as a trainee in 1986 - a undergraduate student in summer vacation who took a traineeship (internship) in Institut Laue Langevin.
?
What factors contribute to your success today, as an internationally renowned professor? How can the young scientists grasp the opportunity when it comes?
Goals, drive, endurance, flexibility. Be curious, thrive to do it better, don't give up at failure! Some time, opportunities arise, and there is not much time to think about, so I have to make decisions. For example, after starting my postdoc, I just worked hard and to my best, which became successful, without that I realized it. After just a few months I was called to my supervisor's office where he was with his group leader and closed the door. They have offered to me the opportunity whether I want to step up to a full scientist position – and I immediately answered with Yes. At the end of the meeting, they asked me to think about it, talk to my wife, and let them know my decision shortly – to which I directly answered: I have already made my decision, which is Yes! In fact, such opportunity aligned well with my goals and vision I dreamed of before, so I grabbed it before it went away! It is important to have such vision and play in your mind with case studies – what happens, if … having answers in the pocket. I realized later in my life, one might wish to make decisions in a group, however, sometimes noone wants to go ahead and make a decision. That's your opportunity – balanced decisions, not to push yourself ahead but helping the group and the community. Actually, I have got the first synchrotron job, because I knew to repair a car! Later my group leader told me: “a synchrotron is like an old car – always needs some repairs” - true, I found myself hanging upside down in a support frame dis- and re-assembling motors, encoders and vacuum pipes. It is important to accumulate experience in many fields, not just in the one discipline you studied! It was another great opportunity that the reactor was broken and shut down, during my PhD thesis, seeking out for other kinds of characterization, which were synchrotron high-energy X-rays. Too often I hear from people nowadays saying when "this is not my experiment, this is not my field why should I participate, what does it bring to me?" - My advice is to look beyond your field, help others on their project, acquire that extra piece of experience and use it next time, or in future times for you! The simple experiments and simple research has been already done, we are thriving to more and more knowledge and higher and higher technologies, demanding more complex and interdisciplinary research. I took the opportunity of merging disciplines, writing down research projects and goals which I extrapolated to be feasible – but in fact I had no concrete idea how to fulfill the individual steps. Then I worked along my milestones, looked up the plan from time to time, saying to myself: I have learned far out of the window to do this – no I have to do it! So, most of the time it worked, and when getting to understand how it worked in detail, it even surpassed the goals. That's the same way how a novel synchrotron source works – or a free electron laser: Noone can tell in detail what the performance and the impact is, however, if we do it well in a coordinated way and adopt to the new findings, it will be very successful. That's the forefront of science!
?
There are further important things as an advice: Take leadership in a group or team, but work together; get involved in networking, seminars, outreach, community involvement, such as participating pro-actively in your local materials society, organizing seminars, events, journal editing, reviewing, helping others. And don't give up!
?
What is your impression upon GTIIT?
Great! Well done! Lot's of opportunities! Big future! I must say, what the Technion and the Chinese partners have established is excellent! A brand new campus, all motivated people, clean, beautiful. Moreover, we have students and academic life has started! When looking into GTIIT and playing with the thoughts to join, 1.5 years ago, barely anyone knew about it in the Chinese academic world. Some people said, could be good! When I was offered my position, senior academics advised me, it's a high-level university, you have to go! A bit the same advice I've got when the ESRF started beam in 1994. Being one of the first gives us the possibility to design the labs, the research and the lectures! Nowadays, we are in the spotlights. Journals interviewing us, and even at the airport in Guanzhou, the immigration officer realized 'oh you are from that new university', then awaking all his interest, his serious face becoming smiling and excited – while behind the queue was waiting! I think GTIIT is there – getting in the mind of people – now let's do the job!
?
What is your impression upon Shantou?
What I like at Shantou, it's not too big! Around GTIIT, we have the temple mountain. We are quick downtown. This is my second month here, and I haven't seen by far what is around. Apart from excellent excursions on the weekends. There is culture, like the micro calligraphy, the piano concerts, the tea ceremonies. At Nan'ao Island, I could catch a wave and the hikes in the mountains are beautiful. Local beef hotpot is delicious. Moreover, Shantou has a lot of potential for high level development. The airport is just new, speed trains, and under construction the local tramway. GTIIT will have a South Campus – and hopefully the one or other high level institute settles here. What I need is a driving license and a car to explore the unknown and isolated parts of the surroundings – I am well prepared, I brought both my rock climbing gear and my swimming cozzies for ocean surf swimming.
?
* Klaus is an enthusiast of rock climbing and a professional ocean surf coach.
Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs
