Michael Tinkham

Biography

Abstract

Michael Tinkham was Professor of Physics at Harvard University University (1966-2010). Other institutional affiliations include University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include superconductivity and magnetism.

Important Dates

February 23, 1928Birth, Green Lake County (Wis.).

1951Obtained MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1951Obtained AB, Ripon College, Ripon (Wis.).

1954Obtained PhD in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1954 – 1955National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow, Clarendon Laboratory.

1955 – 1966Research Physicist and Lecturer (1955-1957) and Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics (1957-1966), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1966 – 2010Professor of Physics (1966-1980); Rumford Research Professor of Physics (1980-2010); Gordon McKay Research Professor of Applied Physics (1966-2010); and Chair, Department of Physics (1975-1978), Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1970Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1971 – 1972National Science Foundation (NSF) Senior Fellow, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University.

1974Awarded Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize, American Physical Society.

1978 – 1979Humboldt Senior Scientist, University of Karlsruhe.

1987Visiting Miller Research Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1993Visiting Professor, Delft University of Technology.

November 4, 2010Death, Portland (Or.).

Occupation

Superconductivity and magnetic physicist.

Places

Birth

Green Lake County (Wis.)

Undergraduate Education

Ripon (Wis.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Employment

Berkeley (Calif.)

Cambridge (Mass.)

Death

Portland (Or.)

Subjects

Magnetism.

Superconductivity.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Bozovic, Dolores

Advised by Tinkham at Harvard University.

Ginsberg, Donald M.

Advised by Tinkham at University of California, Berkeley on superconductors.

Sievers, Al

Advised by Tinkham at University of California at Berkeley.

Silvera, Isaac F.

Advised by Tinkham at University of California, Berkeley on Far Infrared Studies of Canted Antiferromagnetic Crystal Systems.

Sohn, Lydia L.

Advised by Tinkham at University of California, Berkeley.

Strandberg, M. W. P. (Malcolm Woodrow Pershing), 1919-

PhD advisor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Theory of the Fine Structure of the Molecular Oxygen Ground State with an Experimental Study of its Microwave Paramagnetic Spectrum".

Weitz, David A.

Advised by Tinkham at Harvard University and both employed at Harvard University.

Colleagues

Adler, Stephen L.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Bainbridge, Kenneth T. (Kenneth Tompkins), 1904-1996

Both employed at Harvard University.

Bardeen, James Maxwell, 1939-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Barish, B. C. (Barry Clark), 1936-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Baym, Gordon

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Bialek, William S.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Birge, Raymond T. (Raymond Thayer), 1887-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Bloembergen, N.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Bradbury, Norris, 1909-1997

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Brode, Robert B. (Robert Bigham), 1900-1986

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Callan, Curtis G.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Chew, Geoffrey F.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Clarke, John, 1942-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Cohen, Marvin L.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Coleman, Sidney, 1937-2007

Both employed at Harvard University.

Commins, Eugene D.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978

Both employed at Harvard University.

Davidson, Ronald C.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Deser, S. (Stanley)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Emery, V. J. (Victor J.)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Falcone, Roger W.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Falicov, L. M. (Leopoldo Maximo), 1933-1995

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Fetter, Alexander L., 1937-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Freedman, Daniel Z.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Furry, W. H. (Wendell Hinkle), 1907-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gabrielse, Gerald

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gaillard, Mary K.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Gallagher, Thomas F., 1944-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gates, S. James

Both employed at Harvard University.

Georgi, Howard

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glaser, D. A.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Glashow, Sheldon L.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Goldhaber, Gerson

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Hahn, E. L. (Erwin Louis), 1921-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Halperin, Bertrand I.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Haroche, S.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Heeger, Alan J.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Helmholz, August Carl, 1915-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Hooft, G. 't

Both employed at Harvard University.

Hopfield, John J.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Huth, John Edward

Both employed at Harvard University.

Jackiw, Roman W.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Jackson, John David, 1925-2016

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Jaffe, Arthur, 1937-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Jeffries, C. D., 1922-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kahn, Steven Michael

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kemble, Edwin C. (Edwin Crawford), 1889-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Kittel, Charles

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kleppner, Daniel

Both employed at Harvard University.

Lange, Andrew

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Langenberg, D. N., 1932-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Leggett, A. J. (Anthony J.)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Loeb, Leonard B. (Leonard Benedict), 1891-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Louie, Steven G., 1949-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Maldacena, Juan Martin, 1968-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Mandelstam, Stanley

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Martin, Paul Cecil, 1931-

Both employed at Harvard University.

McKee, Christopher, 1942-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

McMillan, Edwin M. (Edwin Mattison), 1907-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Moyer, Burton J., 1912-1973

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Murray, Cherry Ann

Both employed at Harvard University.

Nelson, Ann E. (Ann Elizabeth)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Nelson, David R., 1951-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Nierenberg, William Aaron, 1919-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Perlmutter, Saul

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Phillips, J. C.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Polchinski, Joseph Gerard

Both employed at Harvard University.

Politzer, H. David, 1949-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Pound, Robert V.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Price, Paul Buford

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Purcell, Edward M.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Quinn, Helen R.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

Both employed at Harvard University.

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley.

Reynolds, John Hamilton, 1923-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Richards, Paul L. (Paul Linford)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Ruderman, Malvin A.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

Both employed at Harvard University.

Seaborg, Glenn T. (Glenn Theodore), 1912-1999

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Segrè, Emilio

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Shapiro, Marjorie

Both employed at Harvard University.

Shen, Y. R.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Smoot, George

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Spencer, Thomas, 1946-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Steiner, Herbert M.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Steinhardt, Paul J.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Street, Jabez Curry, 1906-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Strominger, Andrew Eben

Both employed at Harvard University.

Stubbs, Christopher

Both employed at Harvard University.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Thomas, Gareth, 1932-2014

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Townes, Charles H.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Trilling, George H.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Vafa, Cumrun

Both employed at Harvard University.

Van Vleck, J. H. (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980

Both employed at Harvard University.

Watson, Kenneth M.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University.

Wise, Mark B., 1953-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Witten, E.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Wu, Tai Tsun

Both employed at Harvard University.

York, Herbert F. (Herbert Frank)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Zumino, B. (Bruno), 1923-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Institutions

Major Positions

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics; Rumford Research Professor of Physics; and Chair, Department of Physics.

Harvard University. Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Gordon McKay Research Professor of Applied Physics.

Technische Hogeschool Delft

Visiting Professor.

Universität Karlsruhe

Humboldt Senior Scientist.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Research Physicist and Lecturer and Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 1974 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize.

Cavendish Laboratory (Cambridge, England)

National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow.

Clarendon Laboratory

National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Obtained MS (1951) and PhD (1954).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Ripon College

Obtained AB (1951).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Joint ceremonial session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording], 1977 February 8.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Michael Tinkham, 1977 January 11.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Michael Tinkham, 2009 April 20.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

The discovery of the superconducting energy gap [videorecording], 2009 April 16.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Group theory and quantum mechanics / Michael Tinkham.

Introduction to superconductivity / Michael Tinkham.

Superconductivity [by] M. Tinkham.

Subject

"In Honor of Michael Tinkham's 70th Birthday," Journal of Superconductivity 12 (1999): 529-530

"Michael Tinkham: The Early Years," Journal of Superconductivity 17 (2004): 673-674

Michael Tinkham Physics Today obituary.