Nobel Prize Winner Roy J. Glauber
by Naris Ghazarian (Class of '05)
References:
Roy J. Glauber, John L. Hall and Theodor W. Haensch are this years winners of the Nobel Prize for physics. The prize was awarded to the three for their contributions to the advancement of GPS technology. Roy J. Glauber, a Harvard University professor received half of the prize, while Hall and Haensch each were awarded a quarter.
Roy J. Glauber was born in New York City in 1925. He attended the Bronx High School of science, graduating in 1941. Glauber received both his Bachelors and Doctorate degree from Harvard, completing his education in 1949. Over the years he has been involved in many important studies and projects including staff work on the Manhattan project.
Glauber’s contributions to the world of Physics have been numerous. He has receive several awards including: the A. A. Michelson Medal from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the Max Born Award from the American Optical and the A. von Humboldt Research Award. The pinnacle of his awards is the Nobel Prize in physics for his contributions to the quantum theory of optical coherence.
The quantum theory of optical coherence, as the name implies, is not proven. Glauber’s work has brought advancements to proving the theory. Applications of his results have proven to be successful, however, the theory has failed to reach a consensus among scientists. Further studies must be conducted before any conclusions can be drawn.
As a result of his studies, Glauber concluded “the photon absorption statistics from a laser cannot be described by any simple stochastic behavior, Gaussian or Poissonian, but require a detailed knowledge of the quantum state of the device” (Quantum-mechanical theory of optical coherence). His observations led to his studies involving the quantum theory of lasers, parametric amplifiers and photon correlation experiments. Glauber’s work is a step forward in attaining more precise measurements of atomic structure and frequencies. More accurate measurements will allow for “better GPS systems, better space navigation and improved control of astronomical telescope arrays.” (Quantum-mechanical theory of optical coherence)
Roy J. Glauber was born in New York City in 1925. He attended the Bronx High School of science, graduating in 1941. Glauber received both his Bachelors and Doctorate degree from Harvard, completing his education in 1949. Over the years he has been involved in many important studies and projects including staff work on the Manhattan project.
Glauber’s contributions to the world of Physics have been numerous. He has receive several awards including: the A. A. Michelson Medal from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the Max Born Award from the American Optical and the A. von Humboldt Research Award. The pinnacle of his awards is the Nobel Prize in physics for his contributions to the quantum theory of optical coherence.
The quantum theory of optical coherence, as the name implies, is not proven. Glauber’s work has brought advancements to proving the theory. Applications of his results have proven to be successful, however, the theory has failed to reach a consensus among scientists. Further studies must be conducted before any conclusions can be drawn.
As a result of his studies, Glauber concluded “the photon absorption statistics from a laser cannot be described by any simple stochastic behavior, Gaussian or Poissonian, but require a detailed knowledge of the quantum state of the device” (Quantum-mechanical theory of optical coherence). His observations led to his studies involving the quantum theory of lasers, parametric amplifiers and photon correlation experiments. Glauber’s work is a step forward in attaining more precise measurements of atomic structure and frequencies. More accurate measurements will allow for “better GPS systems, better space navigation and improved control of astronomical telescope arrays.” (Quantum-mechanical theory of optical coherence)
References:
- "Nobel To U.S., German Physicists." CBS News. 13 Nov. 2005.
- "Physics." nobelprize.org. 13 Nov. 2005.
- "Physics Department Faculty." Harvard University. 13 Nov. 2005.
- "Prizes and Awards." American Physical Society. 13 Nov. 2005.
- "Roy J. Glauber." Wikipedia. 13 Nov. 2005.
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