Louis Néel

Biography

Abstract

Louis Néel was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970 "for fundamental work and discoveries concerning antiferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism which have led to important applications in solid state physics." He was a respected public figure on national and international levels because of his work and involvement in numerous professional organizations.

Important Dates

November 22, 1904Birth, Lyon (France).

1928Obtained BSc degree, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris (France).

1928Lecturer, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris (France).

1932Obtained PhD, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg (France).

1937 – 1945Professor, Faculty of Science, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg (France).

1940 – 1966Chevalier (1940); Officer (1941); Commander (1958); and Grand Officer (1966), French Legion of Honor.

1945Professor of Physics, Université de Grenoble, Grenoble (France).

1946Director, Laboratory for Electrostatics and Metal Physics, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris (France).

1949Joins Scientific Committee, North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO).

1949 – 1969Member, Board of Directors, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

1952Scientific advisor to French Navy.

1952Awarded Fernand Holweck Prize, French Physical Society.

1953Member, French Academy of Sciences, Paris (France).

1954 – 1970Director, Ecole Francaise de Papeterie.

1954 – 1970Director (1954-1970), and President (1970), Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble, Grenoble (France).

1956Created the Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Grenoble, French Atomic Energy Commission, Grenoble (France).

1957Commander, Order of Academic Palms.

1957President, French Physical Society.

1959Foreign Member, Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen).

1959Foreign Member, Russian Academy of Sciences (Akademiia nauk SSSR).

1963Knighted, French Social Order of Merit.

1963President, Internation Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

1964Foreign Member, German Academy of Sciences.

1965Awarded Gold Medal, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

1965Foreign Member, Romanian Academy.

1966Foreign Member, Royal Society.

1966Foreign Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

1970Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics "for fundamental work and discoveries concerning antiferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism which have led to important applications in solid state physics".

November 17, 2000Death, Brive-la-Gaillarde (France).

Occupation

Condensed matter physicist.

Places

Birth

Lyon (France)

Undergraduate Education

Paris (France)

Employment

Pardubice (Czech Republic)

Strasbourg (France)

Grenoble (France)

Paris (France)

Graduate Education

Strasbourg (France)

Death

Brive-la-Gaillarde (France)

Subjects

Condensed matter.

Electromagnetism.

Relationships

People

Family

Hourticq, Helene

Wife, married 1931.

Néel, Marguerite

Daughter.

Néel, Marie Francoise

Daughter.

Néel, Pierre

Son.

Advisors & Collaborators

Alfvén, Hannes

Both won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970 for separate projects.

Weiss, Pierre

Advisor at University of Strasbourg (Université de Strasbourg).

Additional

Bertault, Félix

Curie, Pierre, 1859-1906

Gorter, C. J. (Cornelis Jacobus), 1907-

Landau, L. D. (Lev Davidovich), 1908-1968

Langevin, Paul, 1872-1946

Pecker, Jean Claude

Pestre, Dominique

Vacquier, Victor

Weil, Louis

Institutions

Major Positions

Centre d'études nucléaires de Grenbole

Founder, French Atomic Energy Commission.

Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France)

Director, Laboratory for Electrostatics and Metal Physics; Member, Board of Directors; and awarded Gold Medal (1965).

École Française de Papeterie (Grenoble)

Director.

École normale supérieure (France). Laboratoire de physique

Received BSc degree (1928) and Lecturer.

Institut polytechnique de Grenoble‏

Director and President.

Légion d'honneur (France)

Chevalier; Officer; Commander; and Grand Officer.

Université de Grenoble

Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Academia Romana

Foreign Member.

Académie des Sciences (France)

Member.

Akademiia nauk SSSR

Foreign Member.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Foreign Member.

Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina

Foreign Member.

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics

President.

Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen

Foreign Member.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Scientific Committee member.

Royal Society (Great Britain)

Foreign Member.

Société française de physique

Awarded Fernand Holweck Prize (1952) and President.

Universite de Strasbourg

Received PhD (1932) and Professor, Faculty of Science.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Louis Neel papers, 1934-1999.

Archives et Patrimoine historique

Académie des Sciences

23 quai de Conti, 75006 Paris, France

Oral history interview with Félix Bertault, 1983.

Cité des sciences et l'industrie

Centre de recherche en histoire des sciences et des techniques

Paris, France

Oral history interview with Louis Néel, 1981 May 29.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Laboratoire de magnétisme Louis Néel records, 1933-1979.

Archives départementales de l'Isère

Archives départementales de l'Isère

Boulevard des adieux, Grenoble

Louis Néel, le magnetisme et Grenoble: la création d'un empire en province, circa 1989.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Jean Claude Pecker, 1976 September 11 and 13.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Victor Vacquier, 1988 February 17 and 1989 December 24.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Oeuvres scientifiques de Louis Néel

Subject

Louis Néel Nobel Prize biography.

Louis Néel Physics Today obituary.

Louis Néel, le magnétisme et Grenoble : récit de la création d'un empire physicien dans la province française, 1940-1965 / par Dominique Pestre.