Univ. of Washington

My interest in science dates back to my early childhood.I have always excelled in physical sciences and have received numerous awards in mathematics in high school. At age 16,
I attended National Taiwan University (NTU), majoring physics. Four years of extensive study in physics and current work in surface science inspired me to undertake a greater challenge in pursuing a doctorate degree in physics. My aspiration to be a research scientist also makes graduate study an absolute necessity.

As an undergraduate student, I specialized in physics, mathematics, and computer science. In my junior year I studied computational physics in Applied Mathematics III, during which I developed a 2-dimensional Ising model with the finite size effect as a course project. In addition to being elated by my computer simulated phase transition phenomena, I was also pleased with the computed values of the critical exponents which closely agreed with theoretical values. During the two-year course on the fundamentals of experimental physics, I diligently studied the techniques of operating experimental equipment, such as the epitaxy systems, lithography, and computer controlled data acquisition interfaces. I enjoyed these hand-on experiences immensely. My current duty, as a research assistant, is to set up diamond film growth kinetics experiments which is designed to verify whether the mechanism of H atoms destroying C-H bonds in diamond film growth is the bottle-neck reaction to diamond film formation. The results will give valuable insights and better enhance the research efforts of another group here at IAMS. In the mean time, I am learning about the scanning probe microscopy, charged particle optics, energy analyzers and  many instruments used in surface science through the seminars held in my group.

In order to be knowledgeable in the breadth of physics, I attended workshops and symposiums in different fields. In the symposium on Symmetries in Subatomic Physics, I worked as an interpreter and edited the article "Conceptual Beginnings of Various Symmetries in the Twentieth Century Physics" from Prof. C. N. Frank Yang's speech and translated it into Chinese.

Keeping an open mind to get experiences not only in academics,I actively participated in extracurricular activities while attending NTU. In senior, I was a part-time teaching assistant grading exams and answering questions in the courses, A Journey to Subatomic World and From Quarks to Black Holes. I also have a part-time position as the bulletin board system administrator for the Physical Society of ROC. I am currently construct their WWW homepage of IAMS (http://www.sinica.edu.tw/as/intro/atom.html) to improve information exchange and science education in Taiwan.

Accumulating these valuable experiences, I am preparing myself for a career in scientific research. Being exposed to surface science, I am interested in mesoscopic systems and nanostructure materials. I plan to concentrate on condensed matter physics. Having carefully read the content of the graduate studies and on-going research programs at University of Washington at Seattle, I believe that UW is the best place for me to be. I am confident that my diverse research experiences together with a firm commitment to physics have merited me to be qualified to undertake graduate study at University of Washington at Seattle.