个人兴趣与社会需求共同驱动型科技突破——赤崎勇何以能获得2014年诺贝尔物理学奖

2014年,日本科学家赤崎勇和天野浩以及一名日裔美籍学者中村修二共同获得了诺贝尔物理学奖。赤崎勇是天野浩的指导教师,也是蓝光LED研究领域的开创者,具有较强的代表性。这篇文章考察了赤崎勇的早期学习与研究经历,梳理了赤崎勇步入化合物半导体结晶研究领域、制备高质量氮化镓单晶体取得突破、成功研制高效蓝色LED等事件的来龙去脉,并分析了赤崎勇取得诺贝尔奖级重大科技突破的主要因素,讨论了重大科技突破与科学家个人兴趣及社会需求的关系。深入剖析赤崎勇的研究历程,有助于为我国的科技政策制定与优化提供新思路。

Self-interest and Social Needs Motivated Scientific Breakthroughs:How Isamu Akasaki Won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics

In 2014, Japanese scientist Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano won the Nobel prize in physics together with Japanese American scientist ShujiNakamur. Isamu Akasaki,Hiroshi Amano＇s tutor as well as the pioneer on the blue LED research, is the most representative one. In this article,the author introduced Isamu Akasaki＇s study and research in his early years, reviewed how he went into thesemiconductive chemical compound research field, In this field, he made the gallium nitride monocrystal preparation, and developed the hi-lite blue LED. The article analyzed the main factors of winning the Nobel prize-class scientific breakthroughs, and discussed the relationship among great scientific breakthroughs, scientist＇s self-interest as well as social needs. Analyzing Isamu Akasaki＇s research process is helpful to providing a new way for China＇s scientific and technological policies making and optimization.