Scholar's Advanced Technological System

849 The Second Key to the Future

There was no point in giving an emotional speech.

Even though these were academic scientific researchers, they still needed to eat.

They had given everything to the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study and Star Sky Technology.

Lu Zhou had to give them something back.

Lu Zhou looked at the excited researchers and gave them all a week-long paid vacation. He also announced that everyone would receive at least a 100,000 yuan bonus, and a total of 20 million yuan in bonuses would be given out to outstanding researchers.

The researchers were already happy with the vacation…

When they heard about the bonuses, the entire laboratory erupted with enthusiasm…

…

When Yang Xu walked out of the laboratory, the cheers from the researchers echoed in his mind.

After the researchers heard about the 20 million yuan in bonuses, they began cheering at the top of their lungs. Fortunately, the precision equipment was in another laboratory. Otherwise, they would suffer millions of dollars worth of damage.

Lu Zhou was walking next to him, and he hesitated for a second before asking Lu Zhou, “Is 20 million too much?”

Other than large national projects or projects funded by large companies, 20 million yuan in research funding was extremely high for normal researchers.

Giving out 20 million yuan in bonuses, even if it was divided between ten people, was two million yuan per person.

Not to mention, there were only a couple of outstanding researchers.

Even Yang Xu, who worked at MIT, hadn’t seen bonuses like this before.

Lu Zhou: “Well, 20 million is just a fraction of the value they created.”

Yang Xu: “Theoretically, that is true, but I’m worried that other researchers from other projects might get jealous. They might want more compensation.”

Lu Zhou smiled and replied nonchalantly, “If they’re jealous, then they should work harder. Jinling Institute for Advanced Study provides them with a world-class research environment. This isn’t a retirement home, this is a place of research.

“As for the bonuses being too high… Is that even a problem? If they produce even better results in the future, I’ll buy them houses!

“I want the entire academic community to know that, if they work hard for me, they’ll be compensated fairly. As long as they produce valuable results, they’ll receive just as much value in return.”

Lu Zhou always believed that the people who expanded civilization’s knowledge were the ones who were the most deserving of wealth.

This was why he splurged on things like a big house and nice sports car.

Even though people took photos of his house and posted it on the Internet, claiming he was hoarding resources, he never cared.

It seemed like every child wanted to be a scientist, but when they grew up, they wanted to be in the entertainment industry.

Lu Zhou felt like the public should value scientists over entertainers.

Even though Yang Xu was a little shocked by Lu Zhou’s decisions, as the director of the Institute of Computational Materials and a member of the board of directors of the Institute for Advanced Study, he had to place the institute’s interests first.

“Then what about theoretical research fields?

“It’s hard for theoretical research to produce valuable results. However, the Institute of Computational Materials wouldn’t be where it is now without theoretical research.

“Do you know why the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute of Computational Materials Science was never established? Not because they are lacking money, but because they’re too good at materials science! The nutty materials scientists all go to Silicon Valley!”

After hearing Yang Xu’s words, Lu Zhou went silent for a while.

“You’re right.”

He contemplated it for a few seconds.

“Theoretical research should also be encouraged.

“If the result is significant enough, they should also be rewarded.”

Yang Xu: “…”

Yang Xu was speechless…

…

Actually, Lu Zhou had always planned on setting up a special bonus fund specifically for theoretical research at the Institute for Advanced Study. This was for fields such as physics, mathematics, theoretical chemistry, and biology.

He had to find a way to spend his money somehow.

He could try to copy what Nobel did?

But it was too early to think about that kind of stuff.

He would have to wait until he was at least on the hospital bed.

Lu Zhou returned to his office and pulled out some paper from his drawer.

The carbon-based transistor breakthrough was a high priority, and he had to inform the relevant departments first.

Of course, what prompted Lu Zhou to write this letter wasn’t just because of the carbon-based transistor breakthrough.

It was also because the value of carbon-based transistors was far more than just increasing the theoretical limit of chip manufacturing technology. It was also because the other properties of graphene, such as it being a topological insulator, was going to be integrated into the semiconductor industry.

According to theoretical calculations, energy Majorana fermions would be formed in the vortex core region between the three-dimensional topological insulator and the superconductor, and this might enable topological quantum computing.

What did this mean?

This meant that not only would carbon-based chips change the semiconductor industry, but it also brought the possibility of constructing topological qubits using Majonara fermions and Majorana zero modes!

In layman’s terms, this would open a new door to quantum computing!

Lu Zhou, a scholar who had won the Nobel Prize in the field of materials, instantly recognized the potential value behind carbon-based transistors.

The transistor length reduction was just the icing on the cake. The realization of topological quantum computing would entirely revolutionize the computing industry and modern civilization!

Lu Zhou finished writing the two-thousand-word letter. He folded the letter into an envelope and placed it on the corner of his desk. He planned on giving it to Wang Peng and telling him to send it to Beijing.

If controllable fusion technology was the first key to the future, then quantum computing was the second key.

Lu Zhou felt very lucky.

Because he was the one who had this key.