Rolf William Landauer

Biography

Abstract

Rolf William Landauer was IBM Fellow (1952-1999). Other institutional affiliations included National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. His research interests included statistical physics and ferroelectricity.

Important Dates

February 4, 1927Birth, Stuttgart (Germany).

1945Obtained SB, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1947Obtained AM, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1950Obtained PhD in Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1950 – 1952Physicist, Lewis Laboratory, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

1952 – 1999Physicist (1952-1961); Director, Physical Sciences (1961-1966); Assistant Director of Research (1966-1969); and IBM Fellow (1969-1999), Thomas J. Watson Research Center, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Armonk (N.Y.).

1988Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1995Awarded Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize, American Physical Society.

April 27, 1999Death, Briarcliff Manor (N.Y.).

Occupation

Condensed matter physicist.

Places

Birth

Stuttgart (Germany)

Undergraduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Employment

Armonk (N.Y.)

Death

Briarcliff Manor (N.Y.)

Subjects

Condensed matter.

Ferroelectricity.

Lasers.

Optics.

Statistical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Landauer, Anna

Mother.

Landauer, Karl

Son.

Landauer, Karl, -1934

Father.

Landauer, Muriel Jussim

Wife. Married 1950.

Landauer, Thomas

Son.

Walsh, Karen Landauer

Daughter.

Colleagues

Anderson, A. G. (Arthur George), 1926-

Both employed at IBM.

Armstrong, J. A. (John A.)

Both employed at IBM.

Brewer, Richard G.

Both employed at IBM.

Brillouin, Léon, 1889-1969

Both employed at IBM.

Demuth, Joseph, 1946-

Both employed at IBM.

Dolan, Gerald

Both employed at IBM.

Garwin, Richard L.

Both employed at IBM.

Gutzwiller, M. C. (Martin C.)

Both employed at IBM.

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

Both employed at IBM.

Himpsel, F. J.

Both employed at IBM.

Horn, Paul (Paul M.)

Both employed at IBM.

Kirtley, John R.

Both employed at IBM.

Louie, Steven G., 1949-

Both employed at IBM.

Mandelbrot, Benoît B.

Both employed at IBM.

Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992

Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.

Tromp, R. M.

Both employed at IBM.

Tsuei, Chang C.

Both employed at IBM.

Webb, R. A. (Richard Alan)

Both employed at IBM.

Additional

Krumhansl, J. A. (James A.)

Nathan, Marshall I., 1933-

Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999

Townes, Charles H.

Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957

Institutions

Major Positions

Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center

Physicist; Director, Physical Sciences; Assistant Director of Research; and IBM Fellow.

United States. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics

Physicist, Lewis Laboratory.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 1995 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize.

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Obtained SB (1945), AM (1947), and PhD in Physics (1950).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

AIP Center for History of Physics responses to Laser History Project Survey, 1983.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Invited papers in applied physics [sound recording], 1968 April 23.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Rolf William Landauer, 1984 October 17.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Rolf William Landauer response to the Laser History Project Survey, 1984.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Session entitled "New useful developments derived from physics" [sound recording] American Association of Physics Teachers annual meeting, December 29, 1967.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Sessions from the annual meeting of Corporate Associates [sound recording], 1969 September 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas papers, 1925-1983.

Special Collections Research Center

North Carolina State University

Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111, USA

Oral history interview with John A. Armstrong, 1984 October 17.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Marshall I. Nathan, 1984 October 17.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Papers presented at the Conference on Physics of Computation held on May 6-8, 1981 at MIT's conference center at Endicott House, Dedham, Massachusetts.

Subject

"Rolf W. Landauer: 1927-1999", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences.

New York Times obituary.

Rolf William Landauer Physics Today obituary.