1942, Guo Guangcan was born in a fisherman's family in Fujian province. My father used a small wooden boat to transport goods and struggled to maintain the livelihood of five people in his family. When he was three years old, his father was taken to work as a coolie by the Japanese and never came back. He got sick on the boat and died overseas. Guo Guangcan's three brothers were all brought up by their mothers, who put up with hardships.

Although the family was embarrassed, the illiterate mother insisted on sending her three children to school. Guo Guangcan is talented and loves reading. Seeing his excellent grades, his family fully supported him to continue his studies. 1958 When he graduated from junior high school, he was sent to Quanzhou No.5 Middle School, a key high school.

When I entered high school, it coincided with the national "Great Leap Forward". "Education should also make a great leap forward." Guo Guangcan recalled that a group of students with good grades were selected from the school examinations to form two science and engineering classes, "requiring three years of homework to be completed in two years".

Guo Guangcan thought that he could save a lot of money in less than one year, so he resolutely chose the science and engineering class. Before that, teenage Guo Guangcan dreamed of becoming a writer when she grew up.

Two years later, 1960, Guo Guangcan took the national unified college entrance examination. My first choice is to study in the Soviet Union preparatory class, and my second choice is China University of Science and Technology. Later, due to the tension between China and the Soviet Union and the change of the policy of staying in the Soviet Union, he failed to embark on a trip to the Soviet Union as he wished, but entered the school gate of the Chinese University of Science and Technology.

"Because I wanted to study semiconductors at that time, I applied for the Radio Department of the Chinese University of Science and Technology." Guo Guangcan's choice was a mistake. He didn't know until he entered the school gate that HKUST's semiconductor major was located in the physics department, not the radio department he knew.

The "episode" in this important choice in life did not cause a stir in Guo Guangcan's heart. He admits that the so-called professional interest at that time was actually vague and one-sided, and more was a simple yearning for a new discipline. He knows that studying hard is the most important thing.

1960, the world's first laser came out. Soon after, the Department of Radio Science of China University of Science and Technology set up a new gas laser major, and Guo Guangcan became interested in this direction and determined to study it. It is from this that he became attached to optics.

"The luckiest thing in my life is to be admitted to China University of Science and Technology." Guo Guangcan was impressed by his college days. Yan Jici, Qian Xuesen and other famous scientists of the older generation devoted great feelings and painstaking efforts to China University of Science and Technology, so they were fortunate enough to listen to their teachings and benefit Guo Guangcan for life.

Guo Guangcan realized that these old scientists who had returned from studying abroad had experienced poverty and backwardness in old China, and he very much hoped that the younger generation could shoulder the historical responsibility of national rejuvenation. "So at that time, at the Chinese University of Science and Technology, boys were determined to be Newton and Einstein, and girls' goal was Madame Curie." In addition to his ambition, Guo Guangcan also learned the thinking methods and academic ideas of learning from these first-class scientists.

From 65438 to 0965, Guo Guangcan stayed in the physics department as a teaching assistant after graduation. However, his desire to devote himself to scientific research and dedication was quickly interrupted by successive political movements.

"Everyone went to the revolution, and their careers were abandoned for eight years." Guo Guangcan said that these eight years should be his most creative and thoughtful "golden time". He doesn't have too many complaints and regrets about the helplessness of the academic school. In his view, just like people can't choose the family they were born in, "living in society, no matter what kind of social and times constraints you encounter, you have to adapt, which is beyond your control."

After the Cultural Revolution, Guo Guangcan began to study hard. "He sleeps at two or three o'clock every night just to find the lost eight years." He worked hard day and night to make up the best time in his life and complete the historical mission that the old scientist once entrusted to the young people.

Encounter quantum optics

After the resumption of scientific research, Guo Guangcan first resumed gas laser research. Since 1970s, He-Ne laser, carbon dioxide laser and argon ion laser are the "old three kinds" of gas laser, and many research units all over the country are doing it. Guo Guangcan felt that he should find a new direction, and he could not repeat others' research.

After some investigation, Guo Guangcan found that nitrogen molecular gas laser was a blank field in China at that time, and the ultraviolet laser it produced had many new uses, and it could also be used as a pump for other dye lasers. "Foreign countries have already done it, and we are far from it." Guo Guangcan decided to start from here and find another way.

At that time, scientific research had just resumed, and various conditions and equipment were still very backward. Guo Guangcan had to do every little thing by himself, buying equipment, welding iron frames, building structures and doing experiments. Although it was very hard, it was not long before the earliest nitrogen molecular laser in China was successfully developed. 1978, this achievement was awarded the National Science Conference Award.

"This award is to encourage everyone. In fact, our level is really too low, and it can only be regarded as' extracting generals from scorpions'. " The experience of developing lasers made Guo Guangcan realize that after the Cultural Revolution, everything had to be done, and it was even more difficult for the country to invest a lot in science and technology.

Judging from this, Guo Guangcan decided to turn to theoretical research. This became an important turning point in his academic career.

Guo Guangcan, who has accumulated in the field of optics for many years, discovered an "unpopular"-quantum optics. At that time, this direction was not favored by domestic scholars, who thought that classical theory was enough to solve optical problems, and quantum optics would not have much theoretical content and no prospect.

"Many people who are more famous than me say that this direction is useless, so almost no one in China considers using quantum theory to solve optical problems. But I think it should be very interesting. " Guo Guangcan insisted that the sword was biased, so he continued his hobby.

198 1 year, Guo Guangcan went to the physics department of the university of Toronto as a visiting scholar. He declined the invitation of his tutor to engage in experimental research and insisted on doing quantum optics research.

"It was discovered abroad that the basic theoretical framework of quantum optics is very mature." Guo Guangcan saw that there was a gap of nearly 20 years between quantum optics, which nobody paid attention to at home, and the international frontier.

When attending an international conference in the field of quantum optics, Guo Guangcan heard a scholar introduce "squeezed state of light field". "I have never heard of this term." Guo Guangcan realized that the new direction means that the frontier of quantum optics is still developing. Although there is a big gap at home and abroad and the theory is becoming mature, he did not give up and felt that he should continue.

Guo Guangcan recalled that on the eve of his return to China, he talked with several China scholars and students until late at night to discuss how to develop domestic quantum optics and make great efforts to change the backward situation. "At that time, everyone was a hot-blooded youth. It seems that a historical mission fell on our shoulders."

After returning to China, Guo Guangcan immediately devoted himself to the construction of quantum optics. 1984, the first academic conference on quantum optics was hosted by Ouyang Xiu in "The Drunk Pavilion in Langya Mountain" with 2000 yuan funded by the school.

"Some people are interested in quantum optics, but many concepts are still not understood." Recalling the meeting at that time, Guo Guangcan said: "Everyone has gained the knowledge that this meeting should continue." .

The conference on quantum optics initiated by Guo Guangcan has continued to this day. On this basis, the professional committee of quantum optics was later established. Relying on this academic activity, the research team in the field of quantum optics in China has grown slowly and the discipline has developed rapidly.

In addition, Guo Guangcan has also opened the first course of quantum optics in China, and the collection of lecture notes is published in 199 1. This "enlightenment textbook" of China's quantum optics became a classic textbook, which laid the foundation for the development of the discipline.

"We should not only do our own research, but also lead a team." Guo Guangcan said that he has been adhering to this idea since he returned to China, hoping to attract more people to participate and improve the overall level of the discipline.

Quantum information "cold and warm self-knowledge"

In the early 1990s, with the efforts of Guo Guangcan, domestic quantum optics made great progress, but he kept thinking, "We have fallen behind in the world for so many years, how can we catch up in the future?"

Guo Guangcan, who is used to not taking the usual path, has an insight that the development of quantum optics is bound to move towards quantum information. The "new growth point" formed by this interdisciplinary subject will be an important opportunity for us to catch up with foreign countries.

Undoubtedly, Guo Guangcan has a keen academic sense of smell, which he called "the ability to appreciate the scientific value". Just like appreciating a work of art, we need to distinguish the most interesting and essential new things in scientific progress.

"Find out when there are signs. If it may become a big tree in the future, be sure to pay attention. " Guo Guangcan's appreciation of scientific value always focuses on the future. In his view, exploring new disciplines is far more important than following some current international academic hotspots.

However, how easy is it to open up new fields? Guo Guangcan told reporters that when he first came into contact with quantum information, difficulties and problems followed. "We know quantum, but we don't know information. What if you don't understand classical information theory? " He went to consult the teachers of the School of Information and took several students to study and study from the most basic theory.

1997, Guo Guangcan completed the first important work in this field-quantum coding. "Quantum is the most critical feature of quantum information, but it is very fragile and easily destroyed by the environment." Guo Guangcan explained, "Therefore, how to keep quantum is the primary problem. This can't be solved, everything is on paper and can't be realized experimentally. "

Quantum properties need to be protected by quantum coding. There are three internationally recognized quantum coding principles: quantum error correction code, quantum error avoidance code and quantum error prevention code. Among them, Guo Guangcan and his student team made the world's first quantum error-avoiding code. After their achievement was published, it caused an international sensation.

Since then, Guo Guangcan's team put forward the principle of quantum probability cloning for the first time in the world, which became another pioneering contribution of China scientists in this field, and was called "segment-country probability cloning machine" and "segment-country boundary".

"At that time, it really surprised foreigners that China people could make such an important voice in a very cutting-edge new discipline." Guo Guangcan has every reason to be proud of his achievements in the hard years.

Although Guo Guangcan's works caused an international sensation, they still failed to attract the attention of domestic counterparts. "There are only graduate students in the team, and there is not much financial support." He feels that the bench can't sit like this, and the field of quantum information must "grow into a big tree."

At this point, Guo Guangcan knew that quantum information would contribute to the country and society, and eventually it would be applied. Therefore, research must also shift from theory to experiment. "Quantum computer, quantum cryptography, quantum network, etc. Without these attractive application prospects, the discipline will not have great development. "

The development of quantum information needs the support and attention of science and technology management departments, but the whole academic community was not optimistic at that time.

"Because they lack understanding of this field." In Guo Guangcan's view, it is usually a very popular subject in the world, and domestic academic circles will soon catch up and get support. "I always thought that what was popular was the frontier. In fact, it was only the frontier at that time. And what I want to do is the frontier of the future. "

In Guo Guangcan's scientific research philosophy, only when a subject is still "cold" can it have more room to play, and "the right to speak will be heavier and the influence of achievements will be greater".

"You think this direction is good, but how do others know that it is really important?" Guo Guangcan is well aware of the gap between ideal and reality, and also knows that everyone's scientific taste and judgment are different.

What shall we do? Guo Guangcan took a good look and made every effort to let the academic circles understand, attach importance to and participate in the development of quantum information.

He first published a series of articles in the popular science magazine Physics, which introduced quantum information in a simple way and attracted a large number of readers. He applied to Qian Xuesen, Wang Daheng and other respected scientists to organize the Xiangshan Conference, and his report was praised by his peers.

However, the debate on whether to support the study of quantum information is still very big. Some academic colleagues even think that Guo Guangcan is engaged in pseudoscience, and the state support is still lacking.

The connecting flight took place on 1999. With the support of Lu Yongxiang, then president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the High-tech Development Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences provided Guo Guangcan with 50,000 yuan of research funds, and suggested setting up a special laboratory for long-term stable support. Therefore, the laboratory of quantum communication and quantum computing is planned and established.

Unexpectedly, one year later, Guo Guangcan's laboratory ranked first when it was specially approved to participate in the evaluation of key laboratories of Chinese Academy of Sciences. "We get 3.8 million yuan in laboratory funding every year, and I am so happy." Guo Guangcan's experiment can finally run boldly.

"Quantum cryptography is the most important and relatively easy for the country." Guo Guangcan wants to use this as a breakthrough to seek all-round deployment in the future.

200 1, the first "973" project of quantum communication and quantum information technology in China was approved. Guo Guangcan applied for this from 1997 for 4 years, "repeated defeats and repeated defeats".

Just as he promoted the development of quantum optics, Guo Guangcan hoped that the research of quantum information could concentrate the strength of the whole country and make progress. He gathered more than 50 scientists from 10 scientific research units into the "973" project, and laboratories were established one after another. His research direction has also expanded from quantum cryptography to quantum computers, quantum communication, quantum networks and many other fields.

"In the past ten years, the team and disciplines have matured." Guo Guangcan said that in the past ten years, the team has produced four academicians.

As predicted by Guo Guangcan, as a continuation of the development of quantum optics, the academic achievements of China scientists in the field of international quantum information have continuously landed.

From quantum optics to quantum information, Guo Guangcan was China's initial "first driving force". He said that in his historical period, it is his responsibility to promote the development of these two fields.

Guo Guangcan is very pleased to see that the research on quantum information in China is flourishing. Looking back on the road of science, he said that his pursuit was nothing more than "inspiring life and tasting science".