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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| Signature | |
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Theodor Wolfgang Hänsch (born October 30, 1941) is a German physicist. He won part of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005. He was recognized for his work with lasers, especially for creating a tool called the "optical frequency comb technique." This tool helps measure light very, very precisely. He shared the prize with John L. Hall and Roy J. Glauber.
Hänsch is currently a director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik (which studies quantum optics). He is also a Professor of experimental physics and laser spectroscopy at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany.
Contents
The Early Life and Career of Theodor Hänsch
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 from 1970 to 1972. He then became a professor there from 1975 to 1986.
Hänsch received several important awards during this time. These included the Comstock Prize in Physics in 1983 and the Albert A. Michelson Medal in 1986. In 1986, Hänsch returned to Germany to lead the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik. In 1989, he received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, which is a very high honor in German research. He also received the Otto Hahn Award in 2005.
One of his former students, Carl E. Wieman, also won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001.
Measuring Light with Lasers
In 1970, Theodor Hänsch invented a new type of laser. This laser could create light pulses with extremely high "spectral resolution." This means that all the light particles (photons) from the laser had almost the exact same energy. This was incredibly precise!
Using this new laser, he measured the light frequency of atomic hydrogen much more accurately than ever before.
The Optical Frequency Comb
In the late 1990s, Hänsch and his team developed an even better way to measure laser light frequency. They used a device called the "optical frequency comb generator." This invention helped them measure the light from hydrogen atoms with amazing precision. It was so precise that they could check if the basic rules of the universe, called "fundamental physical constants," might be changing over time.
For these important discoveries, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005.
Why the Nobel Prize Was Awarded
Professor Hänsch received the Nobel Prize for his work at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. He created the optical "frequency comb synthesizer." This tool made it possible to measure the number of light waves per second with extreme accuracy for the first time. These measurements are millions of times more precise than older ways of measuring light's wavelength.
The Importance of Hydrogen Atoms
His work was inspired by experiments on the very precise laser spectroscopy of the hydrogen atom. Hydrogen is the simplest atom. By accurately measuring its light, scientists can learn about our universe's basic physical constants. For example, they can see if these constants slowly change over time. By the late 1980s, laser measurements of hydrogen had reached their limit with older methods.
So, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics looked for new ways. They developed the optical frequency comb synthesizer. It's called a "comb" because it creates a spectrum of light that looks like a comb. It has hundreds of thousands of sharp light lines, all spaced out evenly.
How the Frequency Comb Works
Think of the frequency comb like a ruler. When you want to measure the frequency of a certain light, you compare it to the very sharp lines on the comb. You find the line that "fits" perfectly. In 1998, Professor Hänsch received a prize for developing this amazing "measurement device."
One of the first uses of this new light source was to measure a specific light frequency from hydrogen. Since then, this frequency has been measured with incredible precision, up to 15 decimal places!
Today, the frequency comb is used in many laboratories worldwide for optical frequency measurements. Since 2002, a company called Menlo Systems, which the Max Planck Institute helped start, has been selling these commercial frequency comb synthesizers to labs around the world.
Laser Technology Development
Hänsch also improved how lasers work. He helped create the first tunable laser that could produce a very narrow beam of light. This was a big step forward and influenced the creation of many other types of lasers. These improved lasers have been very important for laser spectroscopy, which is a way to study materials using light.
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
