Good News

Shen Qi used Computer Science simulation software to construct LSMO/LAO/STO heterostructures with different Sr doping concentrations, generating a schematic diagram of a 4LSMO/3LAO/STO heterostructure. The green, blue, red, brown, pink, and gray spheres represent Sr, La, O, Mn, Al, and Ti atoms, respectively, and they are arranged according to a certain rule.

It is quite evident that this heterostructure has 11 layers and contains 165 atoms. All structures adopt a cubic phase. The capping layer LSMO and the substrate STO each have 4 layers, while the middle LAO has 3 layers, which is less than the 4 LAO critical layers required for the metal-insulator transition at the LAO/STO interface.

To ensure the elimination of the influence of periodic boundary conditions on the calculation results, Shen Qi added a 15 Å vacuum layer above the LSMO, and the calculated in-plane lattice constant of the STO was 3.88.

Based on first-principles calculations, Shen Qi discovered that changing the Sr doping amount can effectively regulate the internal polarization field of the LSMO capping layer, thereby achieving the metal-insulator transition at the LAO/STO interface.

"The shift of positive and negative ions within the LAO layer is significantly suppressed due to the cancellation of its internal electric field by electronic reconstruction. In this light, the polarization catastrophe mechanism seems more convincing." After saving the file, Shen Qi exited the simulation software. His eyes were starting to hurt from looking at these structural diagrams and energy level distribution diagrams for so long.

There were some gains; Shen Qi spent the whole day calculating and obtained some useful data.

With simulation data, we can begin to develop theories, or more formally, construct theories.

However, the amount of data was still too small, and Shen Qi felt a little unsure about building the theory.

Modern experimental equipment can verify most Condensed Matter Physics theories, and any theory with even the slightest flaw can be easily refuted.

In mathematics, the main battle is a deduction based on theoretical logic; whoever has the most imaginative ideas and the most rigorous logic wins.

Modern physicists don't do that. There's nothing to argue about in theory. If there are disagreements, we use equipment and let experimental data speak for itself.

After a busy day at work, Shen Qi returned to the faculty dormitory. The 150-square-meter Affordable Housing he was allocated had been fully furnished and equipped with appliances, and he and Ou Ye would be moving in soon.

Upon entering the living room, Shen Qi saw Ou Ye sitting blankly on the sofa, expressionless, neither pleased nor angry, like a statue.

"I'm back." Shen Qi took off his coat and tossed it onto the sofa.

"Oh," Ou Ye hummed a single word.

"Let's rest for a bit, then go out to eat?" Shen Qi asked his wife about dinner plans.

"I'm not going," Ou Ye grunted.

Shen Qi asked cautiously, "Honey, what's wrong? Are you still upset? I got your approval to go to our department's last organizational activity."

"Hehe." Ou Ye moved her lips, seemingly laughing.

"Hehe." Shen Qi chuckled ingratiatingly.

Ou Ye gently stroked her belly, maintaining her unique, mysterious, half-smiling expression, "I have good news for you."

"This..." Shen Qi was struck dumb, first shocked, then overjoyed. "Little Yezi, are you pregnant? I'm going to be a father?"

"I'm going to be a dad!" Shen Qi jumped up suddenly. This was truly wonderful news; he was about to become a father out of nowhere.

"Then let's get our marriage certificate right away! We'll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow, and after that, we'll have a wedding banquet. We'll have one in the capital first, and then another one in our hometown. We can't skip any of the formalities." After the initial excitement, Shen Qi maintained the calm and rationality expected of Theoretician in the face of this unexpected event. He asked Ou Ye, "How many months has it been? When did you have your checkup?"

"I just found out too." Ou Ye remained calm throughout.

Shen Qi pressed his face against Ou Ye's lower abdomen, intently sensing the movements inside her. "Quite a commotion, could it be twins?"

Ou Ye patted Shen Qi's head. "Get off me, who said I'm pregnant?"

"Huh?" Shen Qi was dumbfounded. He asked, puzzled, "Why are you making that mysterious expression and touching your belly? What good news is it?"

"I won the prize," Ou Ye announced.

"Win an award?"

"Yes, the Morning Star Mathematics Award."

"Wow, this is the good news?" Shen Qi was completely unmoved, and even felt a little amused.

"Professor Shen looks down on such a small award, but I'm quite happy." This was Ou Ye's first nomination for a major Math Prize, so of course she was happy.

"The Morning Star Mathematics Award, the Fields Medal for Chinese people, I've never won this award before, great news, great news, congratulations Little Yezi, you finally won an award." Shen Qi returned to normal, he could no longer be a father for the time being, his girlfriend's award was definitely worth celebrating.

"You won an award, so why are you touching your belly? It's not like you do that." Shen Qi still didn't understand why Ou Ye was touching her belly while delivering the good news.

"I had lunch late, I'm so full." Ou Ye rubbed her stomach again, then poked Shen Qi's chest. "Hey, you like kids, don't you?"

"I like it. We should have two children, a boy and a girl," Shen Qi said.

"Then you need to be certified to work," Ou Ye reminded him.

"It's too late this year, let's get it done next year." Shen Qi and Ou Ye will both be 26 next year, past the age of late marriage and childbearing, it's time to get married.

Ou Ye pinched Shen Qi's ear. "Hey, Shen Qi, marriage is a major life event, why do you sound like you're going to the supermarket to buy cabbage?"

Shen Qi sat up straight and said seriously, "Next year we'll have our wedding. I, Shen Qi, will marry you in style. Among the guests attending our wedding, Fields Medal winners will sit at one table, and Nobel laureates at another. We won't be inferior to anyone in terms of scale."

"Keep it up!" Ou Ye chuckled. "I believe Fields Medal winner would give you face, but I don't believe a Nobel Prize winner would."

"Ou Ye, you just wait, I'll definitely gather a whole table full of Nobel laureates."

Ou Ye became alert. "You won't get married unless you can gather a whole table of Nobel laureates?"

"We'll still get married. If the Nobel Prize isn't enough, the professors will make up the difference."

"Skin!"

"Let's be a little mischievous, then go out for dinner together. You won't be hungry if we don't be a little mischievous." Shen Qi picked up Ou Ye and carried her into the bedroom, then started being mischievous.

The next day, Shen Qi inquired and found that Ou Ye had indeed been nominated for the Morning Star Mathematics Award, and that she was a strong contender for the gold medal. The reason for her nomination was that she had completely proven the Yesmanovich Conjecture.

The Morning Star Mathematics Award was established by a Hong Kong business tycoon who entrusted the Morning Star Mathematics Center with the organization, selection, and awarding of the prize.

The Morning Star Mathematics Award primarily recognizes Chinese mathematicians under the age of 45 who have made outstanding achievements in pure and applied mathematics. Each year, one gold medal is awarded and several silver medals are awarded.

Shen Qi was not nominated for the Morning Star Mathematics Award because there was no one in the Chinese Mathematics Community who could comment on him.

Shen Qi didn't want to take the award either; it was pointless to occupy a spot, and he'd rather leave it for a promising young mathematician, like his girlfriend.