What I’ve been doing these days

图里的这个大盒子就是我最近在做的主要工作之一。之前花很多时间看车，比较懒-_-。而且我一直以为是要把这个放AOM driver和power supply的盒子做的很professional，而老板有时很impatient，于是发了长信教导我，惭愧啊惭愧。我老板真的是个很好的导师，虽然他常认为我应该什么都能自己做，我借了电钻来钻孔时和他说以前我没用过电钻，他的反应是“Oh, it’s funny!”晕，这有什么funny的。。。周四终于基本钻完磨完孔，周五开始焊线。开始焊才发现超级难焊，也开始庆幸还好当时俺订配件的时候不小心订了巨大的swithc和fuse holder，要是小的就更难焊了。图上只是第一个power supply，总共有5个这样的还有1个小的，然后装上做好的隔层板，在上面再装5个driver。整个一下午鼓弄了半天连线，才装了两个power suppy，还发现自己买的LED指示灯其实有错误，55。而且两只胳膊受了好多伤，都是被盒子边给划的。目前我居然还没有被电焊烫到-_-。相比这个，我远更喜欢弄那些光路。搞完盒子，再装个driver for EOM，就应该可以暂时不用做钻工焊工了吧。。。

再列一下老板给我发的建议吧：

a) try to sketch as much as possible a “quick & dirty”
solution you may try in the lab (provided safety is
guaranteed, of course). If the solution does not
work go back to think where is the bottleneck, and
correct accordingly. It is important you get accoustomed
with the art of trying and correcting, with respect to
think to the “perfect apparatus” and then building it;

b) do not waste time on aestethic issues: we are not
doing any fashion in the lab, the most crucial aspect
is to put ourselves in the best conditions to do science.
I have seen the most decrepit laboratories producing
the best science, while very nice laboratories are
very often stagnant;

c) do not waste time on technological issues unless
necessary: we are not doing technology, we want to
understand some science, so we use vacuum techniques,
electronics, etc. as tools, exactly like a theoretical
physicist uses mathematics for his/her calculations/ideas;

d) ask advice to more senior students when you feel that
they may help. Also, ask advice to people in the machine
shop, or the electronic shop. Of course they have their
own projects but if they can spend few minutes they will
never shut the door. This does not mean that they have to
do your job of course;

e) spend more time in the lab: there is always something
new to learn, even just what is available and what is
missing. Also, spend some time browsing catalogues and
manuals to see what is available on the market;

f) try always to estimate effects you are looking for
with simple calculations. You may save a lot of time in
doing this, and develop a physical sense for what is
relevant, and what is not relevant.

然后下周他还要送我和实验室另一个师兄去参观MIT和BU的实验室，秋季学期开始后他还要给我一个理论项目做，估计是看我课都考的很好，原来在北大时自己物理一点也不酷，但出来对比才发现那时获得的对物理的基本感觉真的非常好，开始后悔当时没有足够用功学习。。。老板的话，其实是个很好的的导师，虽然钻啊焊啊，其他测量他也都从来不直接给你指示有时让人无所适从，但这样确实非常锻炼，我确实可以很快学到很多东西。而且他还会偷偷鼓励人，那封信后一封他写“With my experience I can recognize the potentiality in people and I want you to really take-off. Apart from having a rewarding career in science, this will give you a lot of choices in jobs, so you will choose the best place to live and work.”说不定我就一不小心被他培养成刻苦学习的物理学家了lol。

胡言乱语一下，假装刻苦学习，该开始准备qualify了。。。。