Charles Kittel (July 18, 1916 – May 15, 2019) was an American
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
. He was a
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
at
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
from 1951 and was professor
emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
from 1978 until his death.
Life and work
Charles Kittel was born in New York City in 1916.
He studied at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, where he obtained his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
(BA) in 1938. He published his
thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
, under
Gregory Breit, in 1941 at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...
and joined the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
(MIT) between 1945 and 1947. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he joined the Submarine Operations Research Group (SORG). (He is mentioned on page 478 of RV Jones' book Most Secret War, published 1978.) He served in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
as a naval attache. From 1947 to 1951, he worked for
Bell Laboratories
Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984),
then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996)
and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007),
is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, USA, especially on
ferromagnetism
Ferromagnetism is a property of certain materials (such as iron) which results in a large observed magnetic permeability, and in many cases a large magnetic coercivity allowing the material to form a permanent magnet. Ferromagnetic materials ...
.
From 1951 to 1978, he worked at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, where he taught and did research in the field of theoretical
solid-state physics
Solid-state physics is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. It is the largest branch of condensed matter physics. Solid-state physics studies how the l ...
, a part of
condensed-matter physics
Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid State of matter, phases which arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. More ge ...
. He was awarded a
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
in 1945, 1956 and 1963. Many well-known postdoctoral fellows worked with him, including
James C. Phillips and
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (; 24 October 1932 – 18 May 2007) was a French physicist and the Nobel Prize laureate in physics in 1991.
Education and early life
He was born in Paris, France, and was home-schooled to the age of 12. By the age of ...
.
Among other achievements, Kittel is credited with the theoretical discovery of the
RKKY interaction (the first K standing for Kittel) and the
Kittel magnon mode
220px, A kittel
A ''kittel'' ( yi, קיטל) is a white linen or cotton robe worn by religious Ashkenazi Jews on holidays, in the synagogue or at home when leading the Passover seder. Kittels are sometimes worn by grooms. It is also customary for ...
in ferromagnets.
Physics students worldwide study his classic text ''
Introduction to Solid State Physics
''Introduction to Solid State Physics'', known colloquially as ''Kittel'', is a classic condensed matter physics textbook written by American physicist Charles Kittel in 1953. The book has been highly influential and has seen widespread adoption ...
'', now in its 8th edition. He was a member of the
U.S. National Academy of Sciences, elected in 1957.
Kittel died on May 15, 2019, at the age of 102.
Awards
*
Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize
The Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize is an annual award given by the American Physical Society "to recognize and encourage outstanding theoretical or experimental contributions to condensed matter physics." It was endowed by AT&T Bell Lab ...
, 1957
*Berkeley Distinguished Teacher Award, 1970
*
Oersted Medal
The Oersted Medal recognizes notable contributions to the teaching of physics. Established in 1936, it is awarded by the American Association of Physics Teachers. The award is named for Hans Christian Ørsted. It is the Association's most prestig ...
, American Association of Physics Teachers, 1979
Works
*''
Introduction to Solid State Physics
''Introduction to Solid State Physics'', known colloquially as ''Kittel'', is a classic condensed matter physics textbook written by American physicist Charles Kittel in 1953. The book has been highly influential and has seen widespread adoption ...
'', 1st ed. 1953 - 8th ed. 2005,
*''Quantum Theory of Solids'', 1963, and (with C. Y. Fong) 1987,
*''Thermal Physics'', 2nd ed. 1980, , and (with
H. Kroemer) 1980.
*''
Berkeley Physics Course
The Berkeley Physics Course is a series of college-level physics textbooks written mostly (but not exclusively) by UC Berkeley professors.
Description
The series consists of the following five volumes, each of which was originally used in a one-s ...
. Mechanics. Vol. 1'', with Walter Knight and
Malvin A. Ruderman
* Reprinted five times by 1967; a reproduction was published in 2004 by Dover ().
See also
*
Antiferroelectricity
*
Ferromagnetic resonance
Ferromagnetic resonance, or FMR, is coupling between an electromagnetic wave and the magnetization of a medium through which it passes. This coupling induces a significant loss of power of the wave. The power is absorbed by the precessing magneti ...
*
Single domain (magnetic) Single domain, in magnetism, refers to the state of a ferromagnet in which the magnetization does not vary across the magnet. A magnetic particle that stays in a single domain state for all magnetic fields is called a single domain particle (but oth ...
References
External links
*
Freeman Dyson on work at Berkeley with Charles Kittel(Physics History Network)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kittel, Charles
1916 births
2019 deaths
21st-century American physicists
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
American centenarians
Men centenarians
American materials scientists
Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
Military personnel from New York City
Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize winners
Quantum physicists
Scientists from New York City
Semiconductor physicists
University of California, Berkeley College of Letters and Science faculty
Fellows of the American Physical Society
American expatriates in the United Kingdom