Anton Zeilinger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Zeilinger
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Zeilinger in 2011
|
|
| Born | 20 May 1945 Ried im Innkreis, Austria
|
| Alma mater |
|
| Known for |
|
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, Quantum mechanics |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Neutron depolarization measurements on a Dy-single crystal (1972) |
| Doctoral advisor | Helmut Rauch |
| Doctoral students |
|
Anton Zeilinger (born 20 May 1945) is an Austrian physicist. He is famous for his work in quantum mechanics, which studies the tiny world of atoms and particles. In 2022, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Zeilinger is a professor at the University of Vienna. He also works as a senior scientist at the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information. Most of his research is about quantum entanglement. This is a strange connection between particles. In 2007, he received the first Isaac Newton Medal. This award was for his important work in quantum physics. In October 2022, he shared the Nobel Prize with Alain Aspect and John Clauser. They won for their experiments with entangled particles of light, called photons. Their work helped create the field of quantum information science.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Anton Zeilinger was born in 1945 in Ried im Innkreis, Austria. He studied physics at the University of Vienna. He was there from 1963 to 1971. In 1971, he earned his doctorate degree from the University of Vienna. His main teacher was Helmut Rauch. In 1979, he became a university lecturer.
Career Highlights
In the 1970s, Zeilinger worked as a research assistant. He was at the Vienna Atominstitut. Later, he worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA. In 1979, he became an assistant professor in Vienna.
From 1980 to 1990, he was a professor at several universities. These included the Vienna University of Technology and the University of Innsbruck. He also taught at the Technical University of Munich and the University of Vienna.
He led the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information in Vienna. He was its scientific director from 2004 to 2013. In 2013, he became a professor emeritus at the University of Vienna. This means he retired but still holds the title. He was also the president of the Austrian Academy of Sciences from 2013 to 2022.
Since 2006, Zeilinger has helped lead the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. This is a big science project he helped start. In 2009, he created the International Academy Traunkirchen. This academy helps talented students in science and technology. He is also a big fan of Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. He even named his sailboat "42" after a famous number from the book.
Amazing Quantum Research
Quantum Teleportation
Zeilinger was one of the first to show quantum teleportation. This is not like teleporting people in science fiction. Instead, it's about instantly sending information about a tiny particle to another particle. He later made it possible to teleport quantum information over 144 kilometers. This was done between two islands. Quantum teleportation is very important for future quantum computers.
Entanglement Swapping
Entanglement swapping is like teleporting the special connection between particles. Imagine two pairs of entangled particles. Entanglement swapping can link particles from different pairs. Zeilinger's team first showed this in 1998. This experiment helped prove how strange quantum connections can be.
Entanglement with Many Particles
Anton Zeilinger helped open up the study of multi-particle entanglement. In 1990, he worked with Daniel Greenberger and Michael Horne. They studied how more than two particles can be entangled. This led to the GHZ theorem. It shows a clear difference between our everyday world and the quantum world.
GHZ states were the first time scientists looked at entanglement with many particles. In 1999, Zeilinger's team proved entanglement beyond two particles. This was a big step in understanding quantum mechanics.
Quantum Communication and Computing
In 1998, his group was the first to use quantum entanglement for quantum cryptography. This is a super-secure way to send secret messages. In 2005, he also showed how to do a type of quantum computation. This was a new way to use quantum measurements for computing.
Zeilinger's team has worked on sending entanglement over long distances. They started with experiments across the Danube river. Then they sent quantum signals across the city of Vienna. They even sent them over 144 km between two Canary Islands. This showed that quantum communication with satellites is possible. His dream is to put sources of entangled light into space.
New Entangled States
Anton Zeilinger and his team found many new ways to create entangled states. One important discovery was a source for entangled light particles (photons). This source is now used in many labs worldwide. They also showed entanglement using the "orbital angular momentum" of photons. This opened up a whole new area of research.
Macroscopic Quantum Superposition
Zeilinger is also interested in seeing quantum effects in bigger objects. In the 1990s, he started experiments with atoms. He found ways to control atomic beams very precisely. In 1999, he began experiments with large molecules called fullerenes. He successfully showed quantum interference for these molecules. This proved that even larger objects can behave like waves.
In 2005, his group studied the quantum physics of tiny mechanical parts. In 2006, they showed how a tiny mirror could cool itself using light pressure. This was a surprising discovery.
Fundamental Quantum Tests
Zeilinger's research also includes testing the basic rules of quantum mechanics. In 1998, he performed a very important test of Bell's inequality. This experiment helped confirm that quantum mechanics is correct. It showed that particles can be connected in ways that classical physics cannot explain.
His group also tested theories by Anthony James Leggett. These theories tried to explain quantum behavior in a different way. Zeilinger's experiments showed that these theories were incorrect. This further proved the strange and unique nature of the quantum world.
Neutron Interferometry
Anton Zeilinger's earliest work was on neutron interferometry. This research laid the groundwork for his later discoveries.
He worked with his teacher, Helmut Rauch, at the Vienna University of Technology. They did experiments with neutrons, which are tiny particles. One early experiment confirmed a basic rule of quantum mechanics. It showed how a neutron's spin changes when it rotates. He also built a special setup for very cold neutrons. This allowed for very precise tests of quantum mechanics. He even built a double-slit experiment for neutrons. This experiment showed that single neutrons can act like waves.
Awards and Honors
International Prizes
- Nobel Prize in Physics (2022)
- Micius Quantum Prize (2019)
- Cozzarelli Prize in Physical and Mathematical Sciences (2018)
- John Stewart Bell Prize (2017)
- Wolf Prize in Physics (2012)
- Grand Merit Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2009)
- Inaugural Isaac Newton Medal (2008)
- Quantum Electronics Prize (2007)
- King Faisal International Prize in physics (2005)
- Descartes Prize (2004)
- Klopsteg Memorial Award (2004)
- Order Pour le Mérite for Arts and Sciences (2000)
- European Optics Prize (1996)
Austrian Prizes
- Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (2024)
- Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (2001)
Images for kids
-
Anton Zeilinger in 2011
-
Anton Zeilinger holding a sculpture by Julian Voss-Andreae, a former student.
See also
In Spanish: Anton Zeilinger para niños
