Klaus von Klitzing
Early Life and Education
Klaus von Klitzing was born on June 28, 1943, in Schroda, now Środa Wielkopolska, Poland. He attended the Braunschweig University of Technology, where he studied physics. He received his doctorate in 1972 from the University of Würzburg.
Career and Research
After completing his doctorate, von Klitzing worked at the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart. His research focused on the properties of low-dimensional electronic systems, particularly the quantum Hall effect. In 1980, he discovered the integer quantum Hall effect, a quantum-mechanical version of the Hall effect. This discovery led to the definition of the von Klitzing constant, which is used in the determination of the fine-structure constant.
Quantum Hall Effect
The quantum Hall effect is a quantum-mechanical version of the Hall effect, observed in two-dimensional electron systems subjected to low temperatures and strong magnetic fields. In this effect, the Hall resistance exhibits precisely quantized plateaus at values given by the von Klitzing constant times an integer. This discovery has had profound implications for our understanding of quantum physics and has led to the development of new standards for electrical resistance.
Von Klitzing Constant
The von Klitzing constant, denoted by R_K, is a physical constant named after Klaus von Klitzing. It is defined as the resistance in the quantum Hall effect and is given by R_K = h/e^2, where h is the Planck constant and e is the elementary charge. The von Klitzing constant has been used to redefine the kilogram in terms of fundamental constants.
Awards and Honors
Von Klitzing's discovery of the quantum Hall effect earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1985. He has also received numerous other awards and honors, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, which is the highest honor awarded in German research.
Personal Life
Von Klitzing is married and has two children. He is an avid runner and enjoys playing the piano in his spare time.