Daniel Kleppner

Dates

December 16, 1932 – present

Authorized Form of Name

Kleppner, Daniel

Biography

Abstract

Daniel Kleppner was Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1985-2007). Other institutional affiliations include Harvard University. His research interests include experimental atomic physics, laser spectroscopy, and high precision measurements.

Important Dates

December 16, 1932Birth, New York (N.Y.).

1953Obtained BS, Williams College, Williamstown (Mass.).

1955Obtained BA, Cambridge University, Cambridge (England).

1959Obtained PhD in Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1959 – 1966Research Fellow in Physics (1959-1960) and Instructor to Assistant Professor of Physics (1960-1966), Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1966 – presentAssociate Professor, Research Laboratory of Electronics (1966-1973); Professor of Physics (1974-1985); Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics (1985-2007); Associate Director, Research Laboratory of Electronics (1987-2007); Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics Emeritus (2007-present), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1973 – 1976Member, Committee on Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, National Research Council.

1980 – 1985Member, Committee on Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, National Research Council.

1983 – 1984Chair, Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, American Physical Society.

1986Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1986Awarded Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics, American Physical Society.

1987 – 1990Member, Board of Physics and Astromony, National Academy of Sciences.

1988 – 1990Secretary, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

1991Awarded Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize, American Physical Society.

2000 – 2007Director, Center for Ultracold Atoms, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

2005Awarded Wolf Foundation Prize in Physics.

2006Awarded National Medal of Science.

Occupation

Atomic, molecular, and optical physicist.

Places

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Laser spectroscopy.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Killian, Thomas C.

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

Phillips, William D. (William Daniel), 1948-

Advised by Kleppner at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "I.The magnetic moment of the proton in H2O ; II.Inelastic collisions in excited Na." and both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Advised by Kleppner at Harvard University, "Differential Spin Exchange Scattering: Sodium on Cesium," and both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Research Laboratory of Electronics.

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

PhD advisor at Harvard University, "The Broken Atomic Beam Resonance Experiment" and both employed at Harvard University.

Wieman, C. E. (Carl Edwin)

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

Colleagues

Adler, Stephen L.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Al'tshuler, B. L.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Benedek, George Bernard, 1928-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bertsch, George F.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bitter, Francis, 1902-1967

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bloembergen, N.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Brewer, Richard G.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Bridgman, P. W. (Percy Williams), 1882-1961

Both employed at Harvard University.

Coleman, Sidney, 1937-2007

Both employed at Harvard University.

Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978

Both employed at Harvard University.

Coppi, B.

Both employed at the 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).

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glashow, Sheldon L.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Glimm, James

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Goldstone, Jeffrey

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Haroche, S.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jackiw, Roman W.

Both employed at Harvard University.

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).

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ketterle, Wolfgang

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Keyes, Frederick G. (Frederick George), 1885-1976

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).

Leggett, A. J. (Anthony J.)

Both employed at Harvard University.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Livingston, M. Stanley (Milton Stanley)

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Martin, Paul Cecil, 1931-

Both employed at Harvard University.

Morrison, Philip

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Morse, Philip M. (Philip McCord), 1903-1985

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).

Pound, Robert V.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Purcell, Edward M.

Both employed at Harvard University.

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Read, Nicholas

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Rossi, Bruno, 1905-1993

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

Both employed at Harvard University.

Shull, Clifford Glenwood

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Slater, John C. (John Clarke), 1900-1976

Both employed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Stanley, H. Eugene (Harry Eugene), 1941-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Stratton, Julius Adams, 1901-1994

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Street, Jabez Curry, 1906-

Both employed at Harvard University.

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Tinkham, Michael

Both employed at Harvard University.

Townes, Charles H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Harvard University.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

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).

Wilson, Kenneth G. (Kenneth Geddes), 1936-2013

Both employed at Harvard University.

Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Additional

Szilard, Leo

Tisza, Laszlo, 1907-2009

Institutions

Major Positions

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Obtained PhD (1959). Research Fellow in Physics and Instructor to Assistant Professor of Physics.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics; Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics; and Lester Wolfe Professor of Physics Emeritus.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Research Laboratory of Electronics

Associate Professor and Associate Director.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Chair, Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics and received 1986 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics and 1991 Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Physics.

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics

Secretary.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member and Member, Board of Physics and Astronomy.

National Research Council (U.S.)

Member, Committee on Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics.

University of Cambridge. Department of Physics

Obtained BA (1955).

Williams College. Department of Physics

Obtained BS (1953).

Wolf Foundation Prizes

Received 2005 Wolf Foundation Prize in Physics.