Physics History Network
Over 1000 biographies of physicists and histories of institutions with information pertaining to their lives, careers, and research.
Tip: Search within this page by using Ctrl + F or ⌘ + F
Search Our Catalogs
Archives BooksCollections
Emilio Segré Visual Archives Digital Collections Oral Histories Archival Finding Aids Physics History Network Member Society Portals Ethical Cataloging StatementPreservation and Support
Donating Materials Suggest a Book Purchase Saving Archival Collections Grants to Archives Documentation Projects History NewslettersCenter for History of Physics
Scholarship & OutreachMain Navigation
HomeAboutTopic GuidesFeedbackTable of Contents
Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as SubjectLéon Brillouin
Dates
August 7, 1889 – October 4, 1969
Authorized Form of Name
Brillouin, Léon, 1889-1969
Additional Forms of Names
Brillouin, Léon
Biography
Abstract
Léon Brillouin was a founder of modern solid state physics. He made contributions to several other fields including quantum mechanics, radio wave propagation, and information theory. His institutional affiliations include University of Paris, IBM, and Columbia University.
Important Dates
August 7, 1889Birth, Sèvres (France).
1921Obtained PhD in Physics, École normale supérieure, Paris (France).
1921 – 1931Lecturer in Radio Engineering, École Supérieure d’Electricité.
1928 – 1932Professor of Physics, University of Paris (Université de Paris), Paris (France).
1932 – 1939Professor of Physics, Collège de France, Paris (France).
1939 – 1940General Director, French National Broadcasting System.
1941 – 1942Visiting Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
1942 – 1943Professor of Physics, Brown University.
1943 – 1945Research Scientist, Applied Mathematics Group (Columbia), Applied Mathematics Panel, Office of Scientific Research and Development.
1946 – 1949Professor of Physics, Harvard University.
1949Became an American citizen.
1949 – 1954Director of Electronic Education (1949-1952) and Director of Research, Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory (now Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center) (1952-1954), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), New York (N.Y.).
1953Member, National Academy of Sciences.
1954 – 1969Adjunct Professor of Physics, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).
October 4, 1969Death, New York (N.Y.).
Occupation
Solid state physicist.
Places
Birth
Graduate Education
Employment
Death
Subjects
Relationships
People
Family
Brillouin, Marcel Louis
Father.
Mascart, Éleuthère Élie Nicolas, 1837-1908
Maternal grandfather.
Colleagues
Anderson, A. G. (Arthur George), 1926-
Both employed at IBM.
Bainbridge, Kenneth T. (Kenneth Tompkins), 1904-1996
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Bridgman, P. W. (Percy Williams), 1882-1961
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Dunning, John R. (John Ray), 1907-1975
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982
Both employed at Columbia University.
Frosch, Robert A. (Robert Alan), 1928-
Both employed at Columbia University.
Furry, W. H. (Wendell Hinkle), 1907-
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at IBM.
Hahn, E. L. (Erwin Louis), 1921-
Both employed at IBM.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Herb, R. G. (Raymond George), 1908-1996
Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Kemble, Edwin C. (Edwin Crawford), 1889-
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Kraichnan, Robert H., 1928-2008
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Landauer, Rolf William, 1927-1999
Both employed at IBM.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Rabi, I. I. (Isidor Isaac), 1898-1988
Both employed at Columbia University.
Rainwater, L. James (Leo James), 1917-1986
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Sachs, Allan M. (Allan Maxwell), 1921-1989
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Harvard University.
Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992
Both employed at Columbia University and Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Ting, S. C. C. (Samuel Chao-chung), 1936-
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Van Vleck, J. H. (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980
Both employed at Harvard University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Wu, C. S. (Chien-shiung), 1912-1997
Both employed at Columbia University.
Additional
Bauer, Edmond
Brattain, Walter H. (Walter Houser), 1902-1987
Darrow, Karl K. (Karl Kelchner), 1891-
Debye, Peter J. W. (Peter Josef William), 1884-1966
Goudsmit, Samuel A. (Samuel Abraham), 1902-1978
Halban, Hans von, 1908-1964
Lasarev, Petr Petrovich, 1878-1942
Lorentz, H. A. (Hendrik Antoon), 1853-1928
McLachlan, Dan, 1905-
Morse, Philip M. (Philip McCord), 1903-1985
Nordheim, Lothar, 1899-
Peierls, Rudolf E. (Rudolf Ernst), 1907-1995
Rosenfeld, L. (Leon), 1904-1974
Uhlenbeck, George Eugène, 1900-1988
Ullmo, Jean
Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995
Institutions
Major Positions
Brown University. Department of Physics
Professor of Physics.
Collège de France
Professor of Physics.
Columbia University. Department of Physics
Adjunct Professor of Physics.
École supérieure d'électricité
Lecturer in Radio Engineering.
Harvard University. Department of Physics
Professor of Physics.
Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center
Director of Electronic Education and Director of Research, Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory.
United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development
Research Scientist, Applied Mathematics Group (Columbia), Applied Mathematics Panel.
Université de Paris
Professor of Physics.
University of Wisconsin--Madison. Department of Physics
Visiting Professor of Physics.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
École normale supérieure (France)
Obtained PhD (Physics) in 1921.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member.
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
A review of scientific career, 1967.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Goettinger Nachrichten [facetiae], 1932.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Subject
Dan McLachlan incoming correspondence, 1940-1974.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Eleuthere Mascart papers, 1877-1910.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Eugene Feenberg correspondence, 1927-1958.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Hans Halban papers, 1939-1940.
National Archives
Great Britain
Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU, UK
Karl K. Darrow papers, 1872-1978 (bulk 1917-1972).
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Leon Brillouin papers, 1877-1972.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Leon Rosenfeld papers, 1911-1974.
Niels Bohr Archive
Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark
Marcel Brillouin papers, 1887-1943.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Edmond H. Bauer, 1963 January 8 and 14.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Gregor Wentzel, 1964 February 3 to 5.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Jean Ullmo, 1963 January 7.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Léon Brillouin, 1962 March 29 and 3 April.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Léon Rosenfeld, 1963 July 1, 19, 22.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Lothar Wolfgang Nordheim, 1962 July 30.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Lothar Wolfgang Nordheim, 1977 July 24.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Louis de Broglie, 1963 January 7 and 14.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Peter J. W. Debye, 1962 May 3 and 4.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Rudolf Ernst Peierls, 1977 May 20.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Petr P. Lasarev papers, 1914-1941.
Archive
Russian Academy of Sciences
ul. Novocheremushkinskaia, 34, Moscow, 117218, Russia
Philip Morse papers, 1927-1980.
Institute Archives and Special Collections
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Samuel A. Goudsmit correspondence [microform], 1921-1933.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Samuel A. Goudsmit papers, 1921-1979.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Published Resources
Author
Conductibilité électrique et thermique des mètaux / par Léon Brillouin.
Influence de la température sur l'élasticité d'un solide / para L. Brillouin.
La diffraction de la lumière par des ultra-sons / par L. Brillouin.
La méthode du champ self-consistent, par L. Brillouin.
La structure des corps solides dans la physique moderne, par Léon Brillouin…
La théorie des quanta et l'atome de Bohr.
L'atome de Thomas-Fermi et la méthode du champ "self-consistent" / par L. Brillouin.
Les champs "self-consistents" de Hartree et de Fock / par L. Brillouin.
Les statistiques quantiques et leurs applications / par Léon Brillouin.
Les tenseurs en mécanique et en élasticité.
Propagation des ondes dans les milieux periodiques / par Leon Brillouin et Maurice Parodi.
Science and information theory.
Scientific uncertainty and information.
Tensors in mechanics and elasticity. Translated from the French by Robert O. Brennan.
Vie, matière et observation / Préf. d'André George.
Wave propagation in periodic structures : electric filters and crystal lattices.
Subject
Leon N. Brillouin: 1899-1969, Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences