Important quantum physicists

Nobel laureates with important contributions to quantum optics


Charles Hard Townes (1915-2015)

Nobel Prize 1964 (together with N.G. Bassow and A.M. Prochorow)
"For fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser principle."

Nikolaj Gennadijewitsch Bassow (1922-2001)

Nobel Prize 1964 (together with C.H. Townes and A.M. Prochorow)
"For fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser principle."

Aleksandr Michailowitsch Prochorow (1916-2002)

Nobel Prize 1964 (together with N.G. Bassow and C.H. Townes)
"For fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser principle."

Alfred Kastler (1902-1984)

Nobel Prize 1966
"For the discovery and development of optical methods for studying Hertzian resonances in atoms."

Nicolaas Bloembergen (1920-2017)

Nobel Prize 1981 (together with A.L. Schawlow)
"For their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy."

Arthur Leonard Schawlow (1921-1999)

Nobel Prize 1981 (together with N. Bloembergen)
"For their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy."

Hans Georg Dehmelt (1922-2017)

Nobel Prize 1989 (together with W. Paul)
"For the development of the ion trap technique."

Wolfgang Paul (1913-1993)

Nobel Prize 1989 (together with H.G. Dehmelt)
"For the development of the ion trap technique."

Norman Foster Ramsey (1915-2011)

Nobel Prize 1989
"For the invention of the separated oscillatory fields method and its use in the hydrogen maser and other atomic clocks."

Steven Chu (*1948)

Nobel Prize 1997 (together with C.Cohen-Tannoudji and W.D. Phillips)
"For development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light."

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji (*1933)

Nobel Prize 1997 (together with S. Chu and W.D. Phillips)
"For development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light."

William Daniel Phillips (*1948)

Nobel Prize 1997 (together with S. Chu and C. Cohen-Tannoudji)
"For development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light."

Eric A. Cornell (*1961)

Nobel Prize 2001 (together with W. Ketterle and C.E. Wieman)
"For the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates."

Wolfgang Ketterle (*1957)

Nobel Prize 2001 (together with E.A. Cornell and C.E. Wieman)
"For the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates."

Carl E. Wieman (*1951)

Nobel Prize 2001 (together with E.A. Cornell and W. Ketterle)
"For the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates."

Roy J. Glauber (1925-2018)

Nobel Prize 2005
"For his contribution to the quantum theory of optical coherence."

John L. Hall (*1934)

Nobel Prize 2005 (together with T.W. Hänsch)
"For their contributions to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique."

Theodor W. Hänsch (*1941)

Nobel Prize 2005 (together with J.L. Hall)
"For their contributions to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique."

Serge Haroche (*1944)

Nobel Prize 2012 (together with D. Wineland)
"For ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems."

David Wineland (*1944)

Nobel Prize 2012 (together with S. Haroche)
"For ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems."