Roy J. Glauber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roy J. Glauber
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Glauber in 2005
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| Born |
Roy Jay Glauber
September 1, 1925 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Died | December 26, 2018 (aged 93) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Education | Harvard University (AB, PhD) |
| Known for | Inventing Quantum Optics Orders Of Coherence Photodetection Glauber states Glauber dynamics Glauber–Sudarshan P representation |
| Spouse(s) |
Cynthia Rich
b.1933
(m. 1960; div. 1975) |
| Children | 2: Jeffrey and Valerie |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical Physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | The relativistic theory of meson fields (1949) |
| Doctoral advisor | Julian Schwinger |
| Doctoral students |
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Roy Jay Glauber (September 1, 1925 – December 26, 2018) was an American theoretical physicist. This means he studied the rules of how the universe works using math and theories. He taught physics at Harvard University and the University of Arizona.
Glauber was born in New York City. In 2005, he won half of the Nobel Prize in Physics. He earned this award for his important work on the "quantum theory of optical coherence." This theory helps us understand how light behaves at a very tiny, quantum level.
His work, published in 1963, explained how different types of light work. For example, he showed the differences between laser light and light from a regular light bulb. His ideas are now used a lot in a field called quantum optics, which studies how light and matter interact. He also studied how materials change from one state to another, like ice melting into water.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roy Glauber was born in New York City in 1925. He went to the Bronx High School of Science, which was a new school at the time. After high school, he started studying at Harvard University.
During his college years, something very important happened. When he was just 18, he was asked to join the Manhattan Project. This was a top-secret project during World War II to build the first atom bomb. At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Glauber was one of the youngest scientists. His job was to figure out the "critical mass" needed for the bomb. This is the smallest amount of material needed to create a nuclear explosion.
After two years working on the project, he went back to Harvard. He finished his bachelor's degree in 1946 and earned his PhD in 1949.
Amazing Discoveries in Physics
Glauber's research focused on quantum optics. This field looks at how light and matter interact at a very small, quantum level. He explored many interesting questions about light and tiny particles.
For example, he studied how light behaves when it's trapped. He also looked at how light interacts with tiny charged particles called ions. His work helped us understand how to count individual atoms and how light sources react when we measure them. He also explored the idea of "quantum jumps," which are sudden changes in the energy of an atom.
His theories are very important for understanding how lasers work. They also help explain how light can be used in new technologies.
Awards and Special Honors
Roy Glauber received many awards for his groundbreaking research. In 1985, he was given the Albert A. Michelson Medal from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. He also won the Max Born Award in the same year.
In 1996, he received the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics. The biggest honor came in 2005 when he won the Nobel Prize in Physics. He shared this prize with two other scientists, John L. Hall and Theodor W. Hänsch. The Nobel Committee recognized his work on the quantum theory of optical coherence.
Glauber was also made a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 1997. This is a very high honor for scientists.
The Ig Nobel Prize Connection
Before winning his "real" Nobel Prize, Glauber was known for something funnier: the Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies. These awards celebrate silly or unusual scientific research. For many years, Glauber was the "Keeper of the Broom" at these events. His job was to sweep up the paper airplanes that people traditionally threw on stage.
He missed the 2005 Ig Nobel ceremony, though. Why? Because he was busy receiving his actual Nobel Prize in Physics!
Personal Life
Roy Glauber lived in Arlington, Massachusetts. He was a visiting scientist at CERN in 1967. CERN is a famous research center in Europe where scientists study tiny particles. In 1951, he even filled in for the famous physicist Richard Feynman as a lecturer at the California Institute of Technology.
Glauber had a son and a daughter, and five grandchildren. He passed away on December 26, 2018, in Newton, Massachusetts. He was buried in Kensico Cemetery in New York.
Selected Publications
- Glauber, Roy J. (June 1963). "The Quantum Theory of Optical Coherence". Physical Review 130 (6): 2529–2539. doi:10.1103/physrev.130.2529.
- Glauber, Roy J. (September 1963). "Coherent and Incoherent States of the Radiation Field". Physical Review 131 (6): 2766–2788. doi:10.1103/physrev.131.2766.
- Glauber, Roy J. (2007). Quantum Theory of Optical Coherence: Selected Papers and Lectures. Wiley. Bibcode 2007qtoc.book.....G.
See also
In Spanish: Roy Jay Glauber para niños
