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He Yizhen (; 1910–2008) was a Chinese physicist. She contributed to applying spectroscopy to the steel industry in China and to the research in amorphous state physics. Her research specialty in amorphous physics was metallic glass. (2026). 9787302281252, Tsinghua University Press. ISBN 9787302281252 She filled up the blank of spectroscopy research in China, and became the first person to measure the whole internal friction peak of metallic glass. He Yizhen was one of the founders of the Institute of Solid State Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei. The research emphases of the institute are nuclear engineering, special metallic materials, and internal friction of solid.
He was born during a time when foot binding was still common, however her grandmother, Wang Xiechangda, was an open-minded educator and social activist for women's rights, who became a prominent influence in He Yizhen's life. Wang believed that women should go to school and argued against bound feet, and established Zhehua School, where Yizhen, along with her seven brothers and sisters, graduated from.
She had seven siblings: He Zeming, He Zehui, He Zerong, He Zeqing, He Zeyuan, He Zecheng, and He Zeqing. All eight of the brothers and sisters became scientists. Yizhen, Zehui, and Zeying are known as the "Three He sisters" in some Chinese scientific circles.
After her marriage to Ge Tingsui in 1941, He returned to the United States with her husband. Through her previous academic connections, she was recommended for a position at a college and eventually became a research assistant to Dr. Ralph A. Beebe at Amherst College. Her research topic was the measurement of thermal adoption in chemistry, rather than spectroscopy. Because she was pregnant, she only stayed in the position for several months and focused on raising her children, who were born in 1942 and 1947. She also worked for briefly at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Metal Research Institute of the University of Chicago. He returned to China in 1949, after founding of the People's Republic of China, and became a professor at Yenching University.
From 1952, He founded and worked at the Institute of Metal Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. University of Michigan website, University of Michigan in China section, Chapter 6. Heroes and Survivors of World War II, article by David Ward and Eugene Chen Her research focused on improving the production rate of China's nascent steel industry through the application of spectroscopy to alloy steel and slag analysis in steel industry and solved issues in steel production. She published two representative papers: "Effect of Microstructure of Steel on Spectral Analysis" and "Cup Electrode Solution Arc Method for Spectral Analysis of Open Hearth Slag".
From 1966 to 1976, He's research was interrupted by effects of China's Cultural Revolution. She was forced to endure humiliating punishments as a result of her experience studying abroad and her wealthy background. In 1969, she was dispatched to the rural area Panjin to labor for two months as punishment.
When the Cultural Revolution of China ended in 1976, He continued her theoretical research. She published two formative papers: "Effect of the Isothermal Effectiveness Near the Peak of the Metallic Glass Pd80Si20Tg", and "A New Peak Near Metallic Glass T". Her papers won the Second Class Prizes of The State Scientific and Technological Progress Award of the Chinese Academy of Science in 1988. She would go on to win the Third Class Prizes of The Natural Science Award of Chinese Academy of Science in 1995 and 1996 and was involved in compiling the book, Amorphous Physics.
In October 1982, she became one of the founders of Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Science.
The couple met at Yenching University, where He had been a lecturer and was three years older than Ge. Because He came from a wealthy and influential family, she had a number of admirers; her family did not approve of her relationship with Ge became he came from a poor family and also suffered from Tuberculosis, for which a valid treatment was not available at the time. Furthermore, Ge's political beliefs clashed with He's father, who disagreed with Ge's support of the political activism of students. In opposition to her family's wishes, she married Ge; their marriage became a much-told tale in Chinese academic world and their love letters are still preserved in their biographies.“The frogs’ quack in the river inspires my infinite feelings; a round hedgehog climbing over my foot makes me fall into deep meditation...... I have no chance to press that rustle of the bell anymore! Among the sound of the opening door, I can never see the smile that I love again!”
After their marriage, Ge obtained the opportunity to study in the United States with He, where they remained from 1941 to 1949. Their two children were born in the United States and eventually became scientists: their daughter Ge Yunpei (1942-2013) was a professor in Shenyang Jianzhu University, while their son Ge Yunjian (born 1947), is an expert in robotics. The couple returned to China in 1949, where they both worked for the Chinese Academy of Science for decades. When Ge was dispatched to work in Hefei in 1980, He's husband and children persuaded her to stop her research to join him in Hefei.
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