Submitted by Vanessa Bismuth on Thu, 25/07/2024 - 11:36
The annual Mark Warner Prize for talented theoretical physicists has been awarded to Ziyou Lu for his outstanding work in Experimental and Theoretical Physics in Part II (3rd year) of the Natural Sciences Tripos.
The level of mathematics required for the theoretical physics courses are higher than the other courses, but I think that's why they are so much more fun.Ziyou Lu
The prize, sponsored by the Ogden Trust, is awarded in memory of Professor Mark Warner, FRS, theoretical physicist, pioneer in the field of liquid crystal elastomers who inspired and mentored generations of physicists.
Ziyou Lu, a Part II student (3rd year) of physics at Trinity College, received the highest marks across both parts of the Theoretical Physics Course this year.
“Initially, I was drawn to Physics as it felt the most quantitative and concrete out of the sciences in high school,” said Ziyou, who also won a Gold Medal at the International Physics Olympiad before coming to Cambridge.
“As I learned more, I started to appreciate the role of mathematics in Physics more. Finding applications of abstract mathematical topics like group theory in Physics is always surprising and often leads to very beautiful results.”
Stellar exams performances are not new for Ziyou, who was ranked the top student (based on exams) in both his 1st and 2nd year at Cambridge, not just among about 150 physicists, but among about 550 students in all Natural Sciences.
“Ziyou is, simply put, the best Physics student in his year at Cambridge,” said Professor Zoran Hadzibabic, who supervised Ziyou throughout his 2nd year at Cambridge in courses on experimental methods, waves and optics, quantum mechanics, and condensed matter physics.
“I met with him every week to discuss the problem sets and the course in general. Together we have discussed things going far beyond the official curriculum. His ability to think quickly on his feet and willingness to put in time between the supervisions to solve the additional questions I gave him have left a stellar impression on me.”
“This year I particularly enjoyed Theoretical Physics 1 as it introduced a new way of looking at Physics: through the symmetries of the system,” said Ziyou, looking back on his 3rd year. “Theoretical Physics 2 was also interesting as it builds on the content taught in previous quantum modules, giving us a lot of new tools to work with.”
“The level of mathematics required for the theoretical physics courses are higher than the other courses, but I think that's why they are so much more fun.”
“Next year, I will be continuing in my 4th year (Part III),” concluded Ziyou. “I am looking forward to this as there are so many exciting courses to choose from, especially Quantum Field Theory and Particle Physics, which I have been wanting to learn for a long time. After that, I will probably be applying for a PhD, but I don't really have a definite field in mind yet."
His former supervisor would love to eventually get him as a PhD student, although he says, “that is unlikely, as I think he is more interested in particle physics than my area of atomic physics.”
Everything seems possible for Ziyou, and only time will tell!
Mark Warner, who died in 2021, was a fellow of Corpus Christi and a professor of theoretical physics at the Cavendish Laboratory. As a researcher, Mark made pioneering contributions in the field of liquid crystal elastomers: materials with cross-linked polymer chains that possess a combination of liquid and crystal properties, and have applications as artificial muscles and in microrobotics.
His lifelong passion for science education led him to create Isaac Physics with Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright in 2014. Its online platform has revolutionised physics education for teachers and students in an extraordinary number of UK schools.
The Ogden Trust is a charitable trust that exists to promote the teaching and learning of physics. For more information, visit The Ogden Trust: supporting physics education & engagement.