Herbert Kroemer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herbert Kroemer
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Kroemer in 2008
|
|
| Born | August 25, 1928 |
| Died | March 8, 2024 (aged 95) |
| Nationality | Germany United States |
| Alma mater | University of Jena University of Göttingen |
| Known for | Drift-field transistor Double-heterostructure laser Heterojunction bipolar transistor |
| Awards | J J Ebers Award (1973) Humboldt Research Award (1994) Nobel Prize in Physics (2000) IEEE Medal of Honor(2002) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics |
| Institutions | Fernmeldetechnisches Zentralamt RCA Laboratories Varian Associates University of Colorado University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Thesis | Zur Theorie des Germaniumgleichrichters und des Transistors : Ausz. Mit 10 Fig. im Text (1953) |
| Doctoral advisor | Fritz Sauter |
Herbert Kroemer (born August 25, 1928 – died March 8, 2024) was a German-American physicist. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000, sharing it with Zhores Alferov. They were honored for their work on "semiconductor heterostructures." These are special materials used in very fast electronics and devices that use light, like lasers. Kroemer was a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He earned his Ph.D. in theoretical physics in 1952. His early research on transistors helped lead to the mobile phone technology we use today.
Early Life
Herbert Kroemer was born in Weimar, Germany. His family was working-class. From a young age, he was very good at physics in school. This allowed him to learn faster than other students in the subject.
His Career and Discoveries
Kroemer worked at several research labs in Germany and the United States. He also taught electrical engineering at the University of Colorado from 1968 to 1976. In 1976, he joined the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). There, he focused on new types of semiconductor materials.
He co-wrote a textbook called Thermal Physics in 1980. This book is still used by students today. He also wrote Quantum Mechanics for Engineering, Materials Science and Applied Physics.
In 1997, Kroemer became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his ideas about semiconductor transistors and lasers. He also joined the National Academy of Sciences in 2003.
Kroemer liked to work on problems that were new and not yet popular. In the 1950s, he invented the drift transistor. He was also the first to show that using different semiconductor materials together, called heterojunctions, could improve devices.
One of his most important ideas came in 1963. He suggested the concept of the double-heterostructure laser. This idea is now key to how many semiconductor lasers work. Kroemer was also a pioneer in a method called molecular beam epitaxy. He used this method to create and test new materials.
Awards and Honors
Herbert Kroemer received many important awards for his scientific work:
- J J Ebers Award (1973)
- Humboldt Research Award (1994)
- Nobel Prize in Physics (2000)
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (2001)
- IEEE Medal of Honor (2002)
See Also
In Spanish: Herbert Kroemer para niños
- List of Nobel laureates affiliated with the University of California, Santa Barbara
