Sharing research insights, tutorials, and reflections on condensed matter physics, magnetocaloric materials, and the journey of scientific discovery.
Before you can optimize a geometry, simulate dynamics, or train a neural network potential, you need one thing: a single point energy. From the electronic Schrödinger equation and the SCF loop to lessons learned running thousands of Gaussian jobs at Academia Sinica.
Read full postFour identical powder batches, four different grain sizes — same compound, but the magnetocaloric curves refuse to agree. Finite-size scaling is built to answer whether a nanoparticle sample is truly undergoing a phase transition in the thermodynamic sense, or something that merely resembles one.
Read full postWhy do universality classes exist at all? Why should iron losing its magnetism and water approaching its critical pressure obey the same critical exponents? A journey from the comfortable lie of mean-field theory to the strange and beautiful machinery of the renormalization group.
Read full postArrott plots, modified Arrott plots, the Banerjee criterion — all of it is Landau theory in disguise. This post builds the theory from the ground up, starting from the question of why M² vs H/M produces straight lines at all, and ends at spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Read full postFour small ways my body has of leaning in close and saying: this one matters, hold onto it. A reflection on D.O.S.E. — dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins — and the quiet moments of being alive that we so often walk right past.
Read full postAn honest reflection on why I do research — not for the publications, not for the credentials, but for the quiet click when something finally makes sense. From DFT at Academia Sinica to grinding powders in a Vietnamese lab, and why the detour is not wasted.
Read full postA practical guide to identifying and locating peaks in raw XRD data — from noise reduction and baseline correction to automated peak detection algorithms and manual refinement. With worked examples on real diffractogram data.
Read full postUnderstanding the physics behind diffraction peak shapes — why Gaussian, Lorentzian, and pseudo-Voigt profiles arise, how to choose among them, and step-by-step fitting with Python. Includes FWHM extraction and goodness-of-fit diagnostics.
Read full postHow to use Williamson-Hall plots to disentangle crystallite size broadening from microstrain broadening in XRD data. Covers the Scherrer equation's limits, the W-H linearization, and fitting strategies for nanocrystalline materials.
Read full postHow Larry Page and Sergey Brin turned a linear algebra concept into a $25 billion company. From hyperlinks as votes and the random surfer model to the Perron–Frobenius theorem, power iteration, and why PageRank is really just finding a dominant eigenvector.
Read full postFrom Behler–Parrinello symmetry functions to equivariant graph neural networks like NequIP and MACE — how machine learning is revolutionizing molecular simulations, with real examples from peptide and saccharide conformer searches.
Read full postFrom the exponential wall of the many-body Schrödinger equation to Kohn–Sham orbitals and Jacob's Ladder of exchange-correlation functionals — a complete conceptual roadmap for newcomers to DFT, with physical intuition first and equations second.
Read full postFrom the intuitive Bragg law to Fourier analysis, reciprocal lattice vectors, and Brillouin zones — a unified picture of diffraction built on physical intuition first, equations second. Based on Kittel Chapter 2.
Read full postFrom the intuitive Bragg law to Fourier analysis, reciprocal lattice vectors, and Brillouin zones — a unified picture of diffraction built on physical intuition first, equations second. Based on Kittel Chapter 2.
Read full postA raw, personal reflection on burnout, the illusion of productivity, and the moment I realized no success is worth it if you're no longer healthy enough to enjoy it. This isn't about slowing down — it's about survival.
Read full postA step-by-step walkthrough of modified Arrott plots for determining the order of magnetic phase transitions and extracting critical exponents. Includes worked examples from real manganite data and common pitfalls to avoid.
Read full postExploring how reducing particle size to the nanoscale changes the fundamental magnetic behavior of perovskite manganites. From dead magnetic layers to core-shell models — what the latest research tells us about finite-size effects.
Read full postReflections on the current state of magnetocaloric research and the remaining challenges before practical magnetic cooling becomes a reality. A look at where the field stands and what breakthroughs are still needed.
Read full postA personal reflection on the meaning of life, inheritance, and the deep human desire to leave something behind — not just material wealth, but values, stories, and love passed on to the next generation.
Read full postA practical coding tutorial showing how to process isothermal magnetization data and calculate the magnetic entropy change using Maxwell's relation. Complete with Python code, visualization tips, and error analysis.
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