Wolfgang Ketterle

Biography

Abstract

Wolfgang Ketterle is John D. MacArthur Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1990-present). Other institutional affiliations include the University of Heidelberg and the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. His research interests include laser spectroscopy and Bose-Einstein condensation.

Important Dates

October 21, 1957Birth, Heidelberg (Germany).

1978Obtained Vordiplom, University of Heidelberg (Universtät Heidelberg), Heidelberg (Germany).

1982Obtained Diplom, Technical University of Munich (Technische Universität München), Munich (Germany).

1982 – 1988Research Assistant (1982-1985) and Staff Scientist (1985-1988), Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics (Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik), Munich (Germany).

1986Obtained PhD in Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (Universität München), Munich (Germany).

1989 – 1990Research Scientist, Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg (Universtät Heidelberg).

1990Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

1990 – presentResearch Associate (1990-1993); Assistant Professor of Physics (1993-1997); Professor of Physics (1997-1998); and John D. MacArthur Professor of Physics (1998-present), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1997Fellow, American Physical Society.

1997Awarded I. I. Rabi Prize in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, American Physical Society.

2001Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics with Eric A. Cornell and Carl E. Wieman "for the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates".

2002Member, National Academy of Sciences.

2007 – presentDirector, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Cambridge (Mass.).

Occupation

Atomic physicist.

Places

Birth

Heidelberg (Germany)

Undergraduate Education

Heidelberg (Germany)

Graduate Education

Munich (Germany)

Employment

Munich (Germany)

Cambridge (Mass.)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Bose-Einstein condensation.

Laser spectroscopy.

Relationships

People

Family

Ketterle, Günter

Brother.

Ketterle, Monika

Sister.

Advisors & Collaborators

Cornell, Eric Allin, 1961-

Shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Carl Wieman "for the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates."

Pritchard, David E. (David Edward), 1941-

Post-doc advisor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Schneble, Dominik A.

Advised by Ketterle at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Stamper-Kurn, Dan M.

Advised by Ketterle at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Walther, H. (Herbert), 1935-2006

PhD advisor at Max Planck Institute.

Wieman, C. E. (Carl Edwin)

Shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Eric Cornell "for the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates."

Zwierlein, Martin W.

Advised by Ketterle at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), "High-temperature superfluidity in an ultracold Fermi gas."

Colleagues

Al'tshuler, B. L.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Benedek, George Bernard, 1928-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bertschinger, Edmund William

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Birgeneau, Robert J. (Robert Joseph), 1942-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Coppi, B.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Davidson, Ronald C.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Deutsch, Martin, 1917-2002

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dresselhaus, M. S.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Enge, Harald A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Feshbach, Herman

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Freedman, Daniel Z.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Friedman, Jerome I. (Jerome Isaac), 1930-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Goldstone, Jeffrey

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jackiw, Roman W.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Javan, Ali, 1926-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Joannopoulos, J. D. (John D.), 1947-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kaspi, Victoria Michelle, 1967-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kastner, Marc A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kendall, Henry W. (Henry Way), 1926-1999

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kleppner, Daniel

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lax, Benjamin

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lee, P. A. (Patrick A.), 1946-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Moniz, E.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Morrison, Philip

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Page, Lyman A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Porkolab, Miklos

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Shull, Clifford Glenwood

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Stratton, Julius Adams, 1901-1994

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ting, S. C. C. (Samuel Chao-chung), 1936-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Weiss, Rainer

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Wiesner, Jerome B. (Jerome Bert), 1915-1994

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Wilczek, Frank

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Institutions

Major Positions

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Research Associate; Assistant Professor of Physics; Professor of Physics; John D. MacArthur Professor of Physics; and Director, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms.

Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik

Research Assistant and Staff Scientist.

Universtät Heidelberg

Obtained Vordiplom and Research Scientist, Department of Physical Chemistry.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Fellow.

American Physical Society

Fellow and Awarded I. I. Rabi Prize in Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Technische Universität München

Obtained Diplom.

Universität München

Obtained PhD (Physics) in 1986.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Physics colloquium: celebration in honor of the 100th birthday of Laszlo Tisza [videorecording], 2007 May 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Subject

Video: MIT 150 "Infinite History" interview

Wolfgang Ketterle Nobel Prize biography