Yakir Aharonov
| Yakir Aharonov | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
28 August 1932 Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine |
| Residence | United States |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Fields | Physicist |
| Institutions |
Perimeter Institute Chapman University Tel Aviv University University of South Carolina George Mason University Brandeis University Yeshiva University |
| Alma mater |
Technion Bristol University |
| Doctoral advisor | David Bohm |
| Doctoral students |
Avi Marchewka David Albert Avshalom Elitzur Lev Vaidman Sandu Popescu |
| Known for |
Aharonov–Bohm effect Weak values Two-state vector formalism |
| Notable awards |
National Medal of Science (2009) Wolf Prize (1998) Elliott Cresson Medal (1991) |
| Notes | |
|
He is the uncle of Dorit Aharonov. | |
Yakir Aharonov (Hebrew: יקיר אהרונוב; born on August 28, 1932)[1] is an Israeli physicist specializing in quantum physics. He is a Professor of Theoretical Physics and the James J. Farley Professor of Natural Philosophy at Chapman University in California. He is also a distinguished professor in the Perimeter Institute[2] and a professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University in Israel. He is president of the IYAR, The Israeli Institute for Advanced Research.[3]
Biography
Yakir Aharonov was born in Haifa. He received his undergraduate education at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, graduating with a BSc in 1956. He continued his graduate studies at the Technion and then moved to Bristol University, UK together with his doctoral advisor David Bohm, receiving a PhD degree in 1960.
Academic career
His research interests are nonlocal and topological effects in quantum mechanics, quantum field theories and interpretations of quantum mechanics. In 1959, he and David Bohm proposed the Aharonov–Bohm effect for which he co-received the 1998 Wolf Prize.
In 1988 Aharonov et al. published their theory of weak values. This work was motivated by Aharonov's long time quest to experimentally verify his theory that apparently random events in quantum mechanics are caused by events in the future (two-state vector formalism). Verifying a present effect of a future cause requires a measurement, which would ordinarily destroy coherence and ruin the experiment. He and his colleagues claim that they were able to use weak measurements and verify the present effect of the future cause.
2008–Present: Professor of Theoretical Physics and the James J. Farley Professor of Natural Philosophy at Chapman University
2006–2008: Professor at George Mason University
1973–2006: Joint professorship at the Tel Aviv University, Israel and the University of South Carolina, America
1967–1973: Joint professorship at the Tel Aviv University, Israel and the Yeshiva University, USA
1964–1967: Associate Professor, Yeshiva University, USA
1961–1964: Assistant Professor, Yeshiva University, USA
1960–1961: Research Associate, Brandeis University, USA
Awards and recognition
1978: Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society[4]
1984: Weizmann Prize in Physics
1984: Rothschild Prize in Physics
1989: Israel Prize in exact science[5]
1990: Elected to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
1991: The Elliott Cresson Medal – The Franklin Institute
1992: Honorary Doctor of Science, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
1993: Elected Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
1993: Honorary Doctor of Science, University of South Carolina, USA
1995: Hewlett–Packard Europhysics Prize
1997: Honorary Doctor of Science, Bristol University, UK
1998: Wolf Prize in Physics[6]
1999: Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
2006: EMET Prize in Exact Science
In 2009, the information service Thomson Reuters named Aharonov as leading candidate for the 2009 Nobel prize in physics, based on the influence of his work on quantum physics.[7]
2010: National Medal of Science, awarded and presented by President Barack Obama. [8]
See also
References
- ↑ "Yakir Aharonov's Homepage at Chapman University". Chapman University. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
- ↑ Nine Leading Researchers Join Stephen Hawking as Distinguished Research Chairs at PI
- ↑ IYAR, The Israeli Institute for Advanced Research site
- ↑ APS Fellow Archive
- ↑ "Israel Prize Official Site – Recipients in 1989 (in Hebrew)".
- ↑ Wolf Prize Recipients in Physics
- ↑ 2009 Nobel prize predictions
- ↑ http://www.nationalacademies.org/headlines/20101018.html
External links
- Aharonov homepage at Chapman University
- Aharonov biography
- Aharonov homepage at USC
- Aharonov homepage at Tel Aviv University
- Yakir Aharonov at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
