He moved to Washington State University by government study abroad scholarship in 1947 and earned his master's degree in 1948.

Li then obtained a doctor's degree from Illinois State Normal University in 1951.

He made research at Carnegie Institute of Technology between 1952 and 1955, and worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1955.

He was assigned to Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

[2] Li's main research field was solid-state physics and magnetism, especially in the theoretical interpretation of statistical theory of order–disorder phase transition for alloys and anti-ferromagnets, the magnetic structure and superconchange theory of transition element, Raman scattering effect of double frequency radiation in the nonlinear optics with mismatched phase angle and quasi–one–dimensional conductivity of non-linear optic crystal lithium iodate–α.