Klaus von Klitzing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Klaus von Klitzing
|
|
|---|---|
Von Klitzing in 2015
|
|
| Born | 28 June 1943 |
| Alma mater | University of Würzburg |
| Known for | Quantum Hall effect |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Thesis | Galvanomagnetische Eigenschaften von Tellur in starken Magnetfeldern (1972) |
Klaus von Klitzing (born 28 June 1943) is a German physicist. He is famous for discovering the integer quantum Hall effect. This important discovery earned him the 1985 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Contents
Klaus von Klitzing's Early Life and Studies
Klaus von Klitzing grew up in Germany. In 1962, he finished high school in Quakenbrück. After that, he decided to study physics.
University Education
He went to the Braunschweig University of Technology. There, he earned his first degree in physics in 1969. He then continued his studies at the University of Würzburg. In 1972, he completed his PhD. His research was about how certain materials act in strong magnetic fields.
His Amazing Scientific Work
Klaus von Klitzing worked at several important research centers. These included the Clarendon Laboratory in Oxford, England, and a high magnetic field lab in France.
The Quantum Hall Effect
In 1980, he became a professor at the Technical University of Munich. That same year, he made his groundbreaking discovery. He found that when electrons move in a very thin layer of material at super cold temperatures and in a strong magnetic field, their electrical resistance changes in very exact steps. This is called the integer quantum Hall effect. It showed that electrical properties can be "quantized," meaning they only exist in specific, discrete values.
The von Klitzing Constant
Because of his discovery, a special number in physics is named after him: the von Klitzing constant. This constant is very important for understanding how electricity works at a tiny, quantum level. It helps scientists measure electrical resistance very precisely.
Current Research
Since 1985, Klaus von Klitzing has been a director at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany. His recent work focuses on how electrons behave in very small, thin systems. He studies them in cold temperatures and strong magnetic fields.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Klaus von Klitzing has received many awards for his scientific achievements.
- 1981 Walter Schottky Prize
- 1982 EPS Europhysics Prize
- 1985 Nobel Prize in Physics
- 1986 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 1988 Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art
- 1988 Dirac Medal and Lecture
- 2003 Elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society
- 2007 Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 2007 Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
- 2009 Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
- 2019 Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts
Two streets in Germany are named after him: Professor von Klitzing Strasse in Quakenbrück and Klaus von Klitzing Strasse in Landau.
See also
In Spanish: Klaus von Klitzing para niños
