Zhou Liwei: The explorer of the "Eye of the Night"


 "I can make a little achievement because I have always had such a belief that I should go out of my own way in wide-beam electron optics.。This goal has always inspired me, and I have worked tirelessly to achieve it, and have combined my personal ideals, aspirations and interests with the needs of my country。”

  -- Zhou Liwei

Struggling to grow through the hard times

  Zhou Liwei was born into an ordinary family in Shanghai on September 17, 1932. His father was a pharmaceutical worker, his mother was a housewife, and he had an older sister and a younger brother。Zhou Liwei's family is very harmonious. Parents educate their children by encouraging them to study hard and be down-to-earth. The influence of the family has benefited Zhou Liwei all his life。Zhou Liwei, who later became an academician, often lamented that he was deeply influenced by his parents, teachers and predecessors。His parents always help others without expecting anything in return, and his teachers and predecessors strive for knowledge and education all their lives. These people are his role models, teaching him to be practical and enthusiastic in helping others。

  When Zhou Liwei was young, he experienced the Japanese invaders occupying Shanghai。The experience of fleeing as a child and seeing the people bullied by the invaders made him hate the invaders, but also made him especially yearn for peace。Zhou Liwei's enlightenment career was spent in Shanghai Peizheng Primary School. "Manjiang Red" and "Su Wu Shepherding" were the songs often taught and sung in primary school. In the imperceptible patriotic education, Zhou Liwei deeply understood the great cause of the nation and the country from childhood。He admired the integrity of the teachers, had a yearning for the profession of teachers, and had a preliminary understanding of the responsibility of teachers。

  After graduating from primary school, Zhou Liwei studied at Shanghai Yangshupu Missionary School, Xiangyao Middle School, Hengmao Middle School and Gaoqiao Middle School。After two years of studying at Takahashi Middle School, he gave up his intention of going to college after high school and applied for the mechanical manufacturing major at the National Shanghai Advanced Machinery Vocational School, which waives tuition and meal fees, with the intention of finding a job as soon as possible after graduation to ease the burden on his family。

  In July 1951, after graduating from National Shanghai High Machinery, Zhou Liwei was assigned to Shanghai public-private joint venture Huatong Electric Machinery Factory to work, participate in actual production, drawing and other work, and the business ability has been greatly improved。In 1952, Zhou Liwei used the principle of screw rotation to make the enameled wire precessional winding in his work, and invented a winding car with flat coils to improve the working efficiency 7.5 times, Shanghai "Labor News" also reported the invention。

Experimental notes written by Zhou Liwei while studying at Beijing Institute of Technology (now Beijing Institute of Technology)

  In 1953, after studying for three months in the cadre preparatory class of Fudan University in Shanghai, Zhou Liwei was admitted to the Beijing Institute of Technology (now Beijing Institute of Technology) and was enrolled in the military optical instrument major 8531 class of the instrument Department, realizing his ideal of going to college and protecting the country。In China at that time, the optical instrument profession is the country's urgent shortage of professional, and military optical instrument is one of the national key development of professional。Zhou Liwei cherished this hard-won learning opportunity very much, studied hard, and has been excellent in study, and joined the Communist Party of China in 1956。During his college years, he also worked as an intern at the state-owned 298 factory in Haikou, Kunming, and took "Design of tank gun sight" as his graduation project topic。After successfully passing the graduation defense, Zhou Liwei ended his university life and stayed in the school to teach. From then on, he took the teacher as his lifelong career, and prepared for the school to develop the night vision major。

Exploring alone in his life in the Soviet Union

In the 1960s, Zhou Liwei took photos when he was in the Soviet Union

  In the 1950s and 1960s, the new China began to send students to the Soviet Union to study the specialties that were in short supply at home。In 1962, Zhou Liwei was selected as a student in the Soviet Union and went to the Electrical Physics Department of the Ulyanov (Lenin) Electrical College in Leningrad, Soviet Union, to study the electronic optical theory and design of night vision devices, with a view to developing corresponding professional reserves for the school after returning home。However, by this time, Sino-Soviet relations had broken down, and the two countries no longer had the honeymoon period of the 1950s, which also doomed Zhou Liwei's three-and-a-half-year career in the Soviet Union would not be smooth。

  In November 1962, Zhou Liwei set foot on the road to the Soviet Union。On the train for seven days and seven nights, he kept in mind the entrust of Professor Maeshiu, the senior of the teaching and Research Department, and set up a voluntary plan to overcome the difficulties in the design of imaging electronic optical systems。

  Unexpectedly, shortly after arriving in the Soviet Union, the words of his academic mentor cast a shadow on his dream。The instructor took a fancy to Zhou Liwei's college major and good mathematical foundation, and tried to persuade him to help him engage in ultra-high frequency electron optics, which seemed to be a very fashionable topic at that time。

  Faced with such a situation, Zhou Liwei was in a dilemma: Follow the teacher, get a degree is not a problem;Do not follow the teacher, there is no guidance, everything depends on their own, the degree is not safe。He is more thoughtful: as a personal future,It is good to follow the teacher,However, this is contrary to the original intention of studying abroad and serving the motherland.Study the major assigned by the instructor,It cannot be applied to the real world after returning home,This meets the expectations of the school leaders before going abroad,More have lost to the country to the students' exhortations!

  After thinking about it again and again, Zhou Liwei decided: no matter how hard it is, we should stick to the original direction!He was determined to forge a path on his own and fulfill his promise before going abroad。Such a decision, sure enough, led to the Soviet mentor refused to help him。From then on, until Zhou Liwei wrote his dissertation, there was no academic communication between them。

  Without the guidance of his tutor, Zhou Liwei could only explore in the scientific field alone。In the Soviet Union more than three years, he went to the most places is the Leningrad Shedrin Library and the library of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, every day in the library to look up materials, take notes, read thinking, from morning to night, Zhou Liwei is not willing to waste a minute。Through a lot of reading, he widely absorbed the research ideas and achievements of various schools in the field of electron optics in the Soviet Union。

  Although the academic road is lonely and boring, Zhou Liwei firmly believes that where there is a will, there is a way。With continuous efforts to explore, he finally made a breakthrough in the theory of electron optics and aberration of cathode lenses in electrostatic-focused concentric ball systems, and completed the Soviet Union physics and mathematics deputy doctoral dissertation in early 1966 as scheduled。

  Despite the twists and turns of his stay in the Soviet Union, Zhou Liwei, while completing his studies, also benefited from a group of honest Soviet experts around him。Professor Rulier, director of the Teaching and Research Department of Electronic Medical Devices of Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute, is a teacher who makes him unforgettable. Professor Rulier is not only very honest, but also very friendly to the Chinese people. He not only cares about Zhou Liwei's study and work, but also helps Zhou Liwei successfully pass the dissertation defense。From Professor Juliet, Zhou Liwei not only learned knowledge, but also personally realized that as a teacher, not only to preach for the students, but also to put themselves in the students' shoes to help students solve problems, which is the responsibility and obligation of a teacher。

In June 1990, Zhou Liwei (center) visited the laboratory of Gubyshev Aviation Institute with the delegation of the North Institute of Technology to the Soviet Union

Create brilliance in wide beam electron optics

  Zhou Liwei stayed to work after graduating from university in order to develop a new major - night vision technology。At that time, this subject was newly set up for the needs of close combat night combat in our country. The key components are image converter and image intensifier. The core problem is how to make a photocathode with high sensitivity and how to design a high-quality electro-optical imaging system。

  At that time, domestic research in this area was almost a blank, Zhou Liwei described himself at that time, not only did not have the basic concept of night vision technology, but also many professional terms such as electron optics, photocathode, fluorescent screen, etc., have never heard of it, everything can only be learned from scratch。Therefore, he eagerly read the corresponding monographs and textbooks, and also went to Peking University and Changchun Institute of Optics and Machinery for short-term study。In less than 3 years, Zhou Liwei wrote the first and second textbooks of Electron Optics Theory and Design, in which he discussed the research ways to solve the problems of electron optics design and calculation. This is Zhou Liwei's initial thinking on this subject, and it also means that he has laid a solid foundation in this field。

  During his time in the Soviet Union, Zhou Liwei's thinking went deeper, focusing mainly on wide-beam electron optics。During this period, Zhou Liwei had a strong interest in the electron optics of electrostatic concentric spherical system, and he used this as a starting point to carry out the research work of wide-beam electron optics and completed the deputy doctoral thesis in physics and mathematics of the Soviet Union。

  In 1977, Zhou Liwei published the textbook "Electronic Optics of Night Vision Devices", began to study the problem of electron optics of concentric sphere electromagnetic focusing system, and he extended his work in the Soviet Union from electrostatic focusing to new exploration in the field of electromagnetic focusing。He believes that if we can find the exact solution of the imaging position of the two-electrode concentric spherical electrostatic and electromagnetic focusing system model, and express it as a similar expansion of the series, it is not difficult to solve the concept of ideal imaging and define the problem of electron optical aberration。Moreover, because the particularity of contradictions in this ideal model includes the universality of wide electron beam imaging contradictions, it not only provides a theoretical basis for the study of universality, but also can test the correctness of the proposed new theory, and has guiding significance for the further study of wide beam electron optics。

  Zhou Liwei devoted himself to research and finally made a series of achievements in this field。In 1978, he published "Electron Optics for Two-electrode concentric ball Systems" in Engineering Optics。In the same year, he led a delegation abroad to attend the International academic Conference on optoelectronic Imaging Devices held by Imperial College London and the International Conference on Electronic Imaging held by Rank Group, and read the academic paper "Electronic optics of concentric ball electromagnetic focusing system" at the meeting。The paper was subsequently published in Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics (Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics)。It was also in this year that he, together with Fang Erlun and Feng Chitao, won the National Science Congress Award for his research achievements in the calculation and design of electronic optical systems for image converters and image intensifiers。

Zhou Liwei and his monograph

  In 1993, on the basis of many years of thinking, Zhou Liwei published the academic monograph "Wide Beam Electron Optics", which caused a great response in the academic circles at home and abroad, and many experts and professors in related fields in China and the United States, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Japan and other countries gave the book a high evaluation。The book is recognized as a scientific, innovative and systematic work by the academic circle, and won the eighth China Book Award in 1994, the first prize of the Seventh National Excellent Science and Technology Book Award in 1995, and the nomination Award of the second National Book Award。The publication of this book marks the beginning of the establishment of Zhou Liwei's wide beam electron optics school system。

  In 1999, Zhou Liwei was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering。2000年10月,The Russian Federation Academy of Engineering awarded Zhou Liwei the title of foreign academician,Academician Prokhorov, Nobel Prize winner and President of the Russian Federation Academy of Engineering Sciences, sent a congratulatory letter,"You have created your own school of science!"This is the praise of top foreign scientists for Zhou Liwei's academic achievements,It also represents the academic community's recognition of him。

  On the road to founding the wide-beam electron optics school, Zhou Liwei was determined to be firm, and his thoughts and thoughts were always combined with the needs of the country。He once summed up his scientific career as: "First, I still have a little ambition, and we must attack the bunker of wide-beam electron optics to establish our own theoretical system.。Second, my research is exactly what the country urgently needs, with greater scientific value and practical significance。To sum up today, I can make a little achievement, is that I have always had such a belief, to go out of their own way in wide beam electron optics。This goal has always inspired me, and I have worked tirelessly to achieve it, and have combined my personal ideals, aspirations and interests with the needs of my country。”

I worked my ass off to educate people

  Since 1958, Zhou Li graduated from the Great School to teach in the school, he has been working in the teacher post for a long time, and he intends to continue to work hard in this position。

  Teaching is another identity of Zhou Liwei in addition to scientific research work, and it is also a profession that he is proud of。

  In Zhou Liwei's teaching career, he was deeply influenced by many respected elders, such as Professor Ru Liye of the Leningrad Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Soviet Union, Academician Meng Zhaoying of Tsinghua University, Academician Wang Daheng of the Chunguang Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the President of Science of China, and professors Maisei Xiu and Lian Tongshu of the university。In Zhou Liwei's eyes, they are all honest elders, honest people, dedicated to learning, eager to help young people。This quality, so that Zhou Liwei deeply impressed, and deeply affected。

  Therefore, in his teaching career, Zhou Liwei also strives to be the same as his predecessors, while improving his knowledge, while teaching wholeheartedly, earnestly helping others, and taking educating people to become talented as his main task。His idea is simple: he hopes that the wisdom and talent of young people will surpass that of the older generation and become the pillars of the country!

In the 1980s, Zhou Liwei supervised doctoral students in scientific research

  In the Spring Festival of 1980, The State Council issued the regulations on academic degrees in China。Knowing this, Zhou Liwei was very happy, he immediately wrote a "notes on postgraduate study and dissertation work" and submitted it to the Academic committee of the school, talking about his personal experience in cultivating graduate students for the reference of the school's graduate instructors。He wrote in his "Notes" that as a qualified academic tutor for graduate students, "it is necessary to exert the initiative and gumption of graduate students and promote him or her to grow into a real scientific and technological worker."。In fact, Zhou Liwei has been applying such norms to himself for many years。

  In 1980, Zhou Liwei was promoted to associate professor. Three years later, he was approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of The State Council as a doctoral supervisor. In 1984, he was specially approved by the State Education Commission as a professor。Zhou Liwei often emphasizes to students a sentence is: "learning to learn, learning to learn.。He asked his graduate students not only to make knowledge, but also to make progress in human aspects, hoping that they would become a new generation of all-round development from spiritual structure to scientific quality。He believes that this is not only the expectation of teachers for students, but also the demand standard of the country and society for talents。

  Zhou Liwei also hopes that young students must aspire to and strive for learning before they do so。He likes to study in the Soviet Union during the motto of "ambition + patience + method =" success", as well as his personal experience and life experience to share with young people, I hope that they are on the road to knowledge have lofty aspirations, and can insist on fighting for their ideals!

  "If a person takes' pay 'and' dedication 'as his life coordinates, and understands life with such a mentality, no matter how difficult it is, he will not shrink, nor will he be complacent in front of honor.。This is a speech at the symposium held by the school for Zhou Liwei after he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering。"Having the right motivation to support your life will give full play to your intelligence and make greater contributions.。In fact, Zhou Liwei not only think so, but also really practice so - pay for no return, dedication has nothing to do with money!

  Over the years, Zhou Liwei's family life has always been ordinary and simple, but a few years ago, he and his wife donated 500,000 yuan to set up the Liwei Scholarship and Jimin Scholarship in the school to encourage and help the students of the photoelectric College。With a sincere heart, he treats his family, friends, students and school with sincerity。

  In 1986, according to his long-term teaching experience, Zhou Liwei published an article entitled "On the Role of postgraduate teachers" in the first issue of Beijing Higher Education Research, elaborating his ideas and views on educating people。He believes that the role of an instructor is mainly reflected in four aspects: selecting topics, leading the way, studying and checking。On the one hand,Teachers should help students to choose a choice with a sense of The Times and in line with students' interests,Topics of practical significance and scientific value;On the other hand,Teachers should also influence students with their own knowledge and style of study,Skillfully guide students to explore the frontiers of the subject;Not only that,For student papers,Teachers should also do strict scrutiny,To ensure that the students who take part in the defense and obtain the degree are fully qualified...。Zhou Liwei is so strictly abide by the teacher's norms, requires each of his students to become a moral, learned, real talent!

  A son, be a righteous man, be a guide。Academician Zhou Liwei has made frequent academic achievements and carefully educated people in teaching, which has won the respect of colleagues in the optical field and the love of teachers and students。Step by step on the road of life, leaving behind is patriotism, struggle, dream of shining footprints。

  (This article is based on the "Zhou Liwei: The" Eye of the Night "explorer" and "to be a righteous person to guide the way" materials)

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