Richard G. Brewer

Biography

Abstract

Richard Brewer is well-known for his contributions to coherent transient spectroscopy. His institutional affiliations include the University of California Los Angeles, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), and Stanford University.

Important Dates

December 8, 1928Birth, Los Angeles (Calif.).

1951Obtained BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1951 – 1953Researcher, Aerojet.

1958Obtained PhD in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1958 – 1960Instructor, Harvard University.

1960 – 1963Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles.

1962 – 1963Consultant, Space Technology Laboratories, Inc. (now TRW Space Technology Laboratories).

1963 – 2012Research Physicist (1963-1973); IBM Fellow, Thomas J. Watson Research Center (1973-1994); and Emeritus IBM Fellow (1994-2012), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), San Jose (Calif.).

1968 – 1969Visiting Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

1974 – 1977Member, Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Research Council.

1975Visiting Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, University of Tokyo.

1976Visiting Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz.

1977 – 2012Consulting Professor of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford (Calif.).

1980Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1981 – 1985Member, Review Panel for the National Bureau of Standards (1981-1984) and Member, Committee on Recommendations for U. S. Army Basic Scientific Research (1982-1985), National Research Council.

1983 – 1986Member, Board on Physics and Astronomy, National Research Council.

2000Awarded Charles Hard Townes Silver Medal, Optical Society of America.

July 22, 2012Death.

Occupation

Laser spectroscopist.

Places

Birth

Los Angeles (Calif.)

Undergraduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Employment

San Jose (Calif.)

Stanford (Calif.)

Subjects

Brillouin scattering.

Laser spectroscopy.

Lasers.

Optical pumping.

Polymers.

Quantum optics.

Trapped ions.

Relationships

People

Family

Breuer, Elise Sachs

Mother.

Breuer, Otto

Father.

Brewer, Emily

Daughter.

Brewer, Laurence

Son.

Brewer, Lillian Magidow

Wife.

Advisors & Collaborators

Brewer, Leo, 1919-2005

Ph.D. advisor at University of California, Berkeley.

Colleagues

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

Both employed at IBM.

Armstrong, J. A. (John A.)

Both employed at IBM.

Awschalom, D. (David)

Both employed at IBM.

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Bloembergen, N.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Chang, Leroy L.

Both employed at IBM.

Demuth, Joseph, 1946-

Both employed at IBM.

Dolan, Gerald

Both employed at IBM.

Esaki, Reona, 1925-

Both employed at IBM.

Fang, Frank F.

Both employed at IBM.

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Garwin, Richard L.

Both employed at IBM.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Gutzwiller, M. C. (Martin C.)

Both employed at IBM.

Himpsel, F. J.

Both employed at IBM.

Horn, Paul (Paul M.)

Both employed at IBM.

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Kirtley, John R.

Both employed at IBM.

Kleppner, Daniel

Both employed at Harvard University.

Kryder, Mark H.

Both employed at IBM.

Landauer, Rolf William, 1927-1999

Both employed at IBM.

Lang, Norton D.

Both employed at IBM.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at IBM.

Louie, Steven G., 1949-

Both employed at IBM.

Mandelbrot, Benoît B.

Both employed at IBM.

Martin, Paul Cecil, 1931-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Pound, Robert V.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Purcell, Edward M.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Rudnick, Isadore, 1917-

Both employed at University of California, Los Angeles.

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

Both employed at Harvard University.

Sorokin, Peter P.

Both employed at IBM.

Street, Jabez Curry, 1906-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Tersoff, J.

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.

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Webb, R. A. (Richard Alan)

Both employed at IBM.

Additional

Brewer, Aubrey Keith, 1893-

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

Townes, Charles H.

Institutions

Major Positions

Aerojet-General Corporation

Researcher.

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Instructor.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Visiting Professor of Physics.

Stanford University. Department of Applied Physics

Consulting Professor of Applied Physics.

Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center

Research Physicist; IBM (International Business Machines) Fellow; and Emeritus IBM Fellow.

Tōkyō Daigaku

Visiting Professor of Physics and Applied Physics.

University of California, Los Angeles. Department of Physics

Assistant Professor.

University of California, Santa Cruz

Visiting Professor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

California Institute of Technology. Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Obtained BS in 1951.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

National Research Council (U.S.)

Member, Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physics; Member, Review Panel for the National Bureau of Standards; Member, Committee on Recommendations for U. S. Army Basic Scientific Research; and Member, Board on Physics and Astronomy.

Optical Society of America

Received 2000 Charles Hard Townes Silver Medal.

TRW Space Technology Laboratories

Consultant.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Chemistry

Obtained PhD in 1958.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Richard G. Brewer memoirs, 2003.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Richard G. Brewer response to Laser History Project Survey, 1983.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

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

Aubrey Brewer autobiography, 1946.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Erwin Louis Hahn, 1986 August 21.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Subject

Richard Brewer: 1928-2012, National Academy of Sciences.

Richard George Brewer Physics Today obituary.