Wolfgang Ketterle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wolfgang Ketterle
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Ketterle at a symposium at Brown University, 2007
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| Born | 21 October 1957 |
| Nationality | Germany, United States |
| Alma mater | University of Heidelberg Technical University of Munich University of Munich Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics |
| Known for | Atom laser Bose–Einstein condensates Spinor condensate |
| Awards | I. I. Rabi Prize (1997) Dannie Heineman Prize (1999) Fritz London Memorial Prize (1999) Benjamin Franklin Medal (2000) Nobel Prize for Physics (2001) Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (2002) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | University of Heidelberg Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Doctoral advisor | Herbert Walther Hartmut Figger |
| Doctoral students | Martin Zwierlein |
Wolfgang Ketterle (born 21 October 1957) is a German physicist and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is famous for his experiments that cool and trap atoms to extremely low temperatures, almost to absolute zero.
In 1995, he led one of the first groups to create a special state of matter called a Bose–Einstein condensate. For this important discovery and his early studies of these condensates, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001. He shared the prize with Eric Allin Cornell and Carl Wieman.
Contents
About Wolfgang Ketterle
Early Life and Education
Wolfgang Ketterle was born in Heidelberg, Germany. He went to school in Eppelheim and Heidelberg. In 1976, he started studying at the University of Heidelberg. Two years later, he moved to the Technical University of Munich. He earned his master's degree there in 1982.
In 1986, he completed his PhD in experimental molecular spectroscopy. He did this research at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. After his PhD, he continued his research at the Max Planck Institute and the University of Heidelberg.
Career at MIT
In 1990, Ketterle joined a research group at MIT. He became a physics professor at MIT in 1993. Since 1998, he has been the John D. MacArthur Professor of Physics. He also became the Associate Director of MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics in 2006. Later, he directed MIT's Center for Ultracold Atoms.
Key Scientific Discoveries
Bose-Einstein Condensates
In 1995, Ketterle's group successfully created a Bose–Einstein condensate using very cold gases. This is a special state of matter where atoms behave like one big wave.
Atom Laser and Other Discoveries
In 1997, his team showed that two colliding condensates could create an interference pattern. This was a big step in understanding these new materials. They also created the first "atom laser". This device produces a beam of atoms, similar to how a regular laser produces a beam of light.
More recently, in 2003, his group made a molecular Bose condensate. This means they created a condensate using molecules instead of single atoms. In 2005, they found evidence for "high-temperature" superfluidity in a fermionic condensate. Superfluidity is when a fluid flows without any friction.
Running and Community Involvement
Ketterle is also an avid runner. He was featured in "Runner's World" magazine in 2009. He enjoys running, even taking his running shoes to Stockholm when he received his Nobel Prize. He has completed the Boston Marathon several times, achieving his personal best time in 2014.
He supports science education for young people. He serves on the board of trustees for the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE). He also gives talks for CEE's program for high school students, the Research Science Institute (RSI). His own son attended this program in 2003. Ketterle also advises an Australian research center focused on future electronics.
In 2008, Ketterle and other Nobel Prize winners signed a letter to President George W. Bush. They asked for more government funding for basic science research. They wanted to make sure important scientific studies could continue.
Personal Life
Wolfgang Ketterle has been married to Michèle Plott since 2011. He has five children.
See also
In Spanish: Wolfgang Ketterle para niños
