Theodor W. Hänsch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theodor Wolfgang Hänsch
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Hänsch at the 2012 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
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| Born | 30 October 1941 Heidelberg, Germany
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| Alma mater | University of Heidelberg |
| Known for | GBAR experiment Gray molasses Laser cooling Optical clock Vernier spectroscopy |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
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| Doctoral advisor | Peter E. Toschek |
| Other academic advisors | Arthur L. Schawlow Christoph Schmelzer |
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Theodor Wolfgang Hänsch (born 30 October 1941) is a German physicist. He won part of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics. He was honored for his work with lasers. He helped develop ways to measure light very precisely. This included the "optical frequency comb technique". He shared the prize with John L. Hall and Roy J. Glauber.
Hänsch is a director at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. He is also a professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. He teaches experimental physics and laser spectroscopy.
Contents
Theodor Hänsch's Life and Work
Early Life and Education
Theodor Hänsch went to school in Heidelberg, Germany. He earned his university degrees from Heidelberg University in the 1960s. After that, he worked at Stanford University in California. He was a postdoctoral fellow there from 1970 to 1972. Later, he became an assistant professor at Stanford University. He worked there from 1975 to 1986.
Awards and Recognition
Hänsch has received many important awards. In 1983, he won the Comstock Prize in Physics. This award is from the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 1986, he received the Albert A. Michelson Medal. That same year, Hänsch returned to Germany. He became the head of the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik.
In 1989, he won the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. This is the highest honor for research in Germany. In 2005, he also received the Otto Hahn Award. This award is from the city of Frankfurt am Main and German science societies. In 2005, the Optical Society of America gave him the Frederic Ives Medal. They also made him an honorary member in 2008.
One of his former students, Carl E. Wieman, also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001.
Developing New Lasers
In 1970, Theodor Hänsch invented a new type of laser. This laser created light pulses that were very precise. All the light particles from the laser had almost the same energy. He used this laser to measure the light from hydrogen atoms. He did this much more accurately than anyone before.
In the late 1990s, he and his team developed a new tool. It was called the optical frequency comb generator. This tool could measure laser light even more precisely. They used it to measure the light from hydrogen atoms with incredible accuracy. This high precision allowed scientists to look for changes in the universe's basic physical constants over time. For these important discoveries, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005.
Why the Nobel Prize Was Awarded
The Optical Frequency Comb
Professor Hänsch received the Nobel Prize for his work in the late 1990s. He worked at the Max Planck Institute in Garching, Germany. He developed an optical "frequency comb synthesizer". This device made it possible to measure the number of light waves per second with extreme accuracy. These measurements are millions of times more precise than older ways of measuring light.
Measuring Hydrogen Atoms
His work was inspired by experiments on hydrogen atoms. Hydrogen atoms have a very simple structure. By precisely measuring their light, scientists can learn about our universe's basic physical constants. They can see if these constants change over time. By the late 1980s, measuring hydrogen light had reached its limit with old methods.
So, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics looked for new ways. They created the optical frequency comb synthesizer. It creates a spectrum of light from very short pulses of light. This spectrum has hundreds of thousands of sharp lines. These lines are spaced at a constant frequency.
How the Frequency Comb Works
Think of a frequency comb like a ruler. When you want to measure the frequency of light, you compare it to the comb's precise lines. You find the line that "fits" best. In 1998, Professor Hänsch won a prize for creating this "measurement device".
One of the first uses of this new light source was to measure a specific light transition in hydrogen. Since then, its frequency has been measured with 15 decimal places of precision.
Today, the frequency comb is used in many laboratories worldwide. Since 2002, a company called Menlo Systems has been selling these devices. The Max Planck Institute helped start this company.
Advancements in Laser Technology
Hänsch also improved how tunable lasers work. He added a special system inside the laser. This system made the laser light very narrow and precise. This invention greatly influenced the development of other precise tunable lasers. These lasers, including those using organic materials and solid-state lasers, have been very important for laser spectroscopy.
Awards and Honors
- James Joyce Award (2009)
- Carl Friedrich von Siemens Prize (2006)
- Rudolf Diesel Gold Medal (2006)
- Ioannes Marcus Marci Medal (2006)
- Bambi Award (2005)
- Otto Hahn Prize (2005)
- I. I. Rabi Award (2005)
- Nobel Prize in Physics (2005)
- Frederic Ives Medal (2005)
- Matteucci Medal (2001)
- SUNAMCO Medal (2001)
- Philip Morris Research Prize (1998, 2000)
- Arthur L. Schawlow Award (2000)
- Stern-Gerlach Medal (2000)
- Arthur L. Schawlow Prize (1996)
- Einstein Prize for Laser Science (1995)
- King Faisal International Prize (1989)
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (1989)
- Italgas Prize for Research and Innovation (1987)
- Michelson Medal (1986)
- William F. Meggers Award (1985)
- Herbert P. Broida Prize (1983)
- Comstock Prize in Physics (1983)
- Otto-Klung Prize (1980)
See also
In Spanish: Theodor W. Hänsch para niños
- Atom laser
- Beam expander
- Dye laser
- Doppler cooling
- Gray molasses
- Tunable laser
- Vernier spectroscopy
