Leo Esaki
Encyclopedia
Reona Esaki also known as Leo Esaki (江崎 玲於奈 Esaki Reona, born March 12, 1925) is a Japan
ese physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics
in 1973 with Ivar Giaever
and Brian David Josephson
for his discovery of the phenomenon of electron tunneling. He is known for his invention of the Esaki diode, which exploited that phenomenon. This research was done when he was with Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (now known as Sony
). He has also contributed as a pioneer of the semiconductor superlattice
while he was with IBM.
at the University of Tokyo
, he received his B.Sc. in 1947 and his Ph.D. in 1959. Esaki was awarded the Nobel Prize
for research had conducted around 1958 regarding electron tunneling in solids. He moved to the United States
in 1960 and joined the IBM
T. J. Watson Research Center
, where he became an IBM Fellow
in 1967. His first paper on the semiconductor superlattice
was published when he was with IBM. A comment by Esaki in a 1987 number of Current Contents regarding the original paper on superlattices notes:
Subsequently, he served as the President of various Japanese universities, for example, University of Tsukuba
and Shibaura Institute of Technology. Since 2006, he is serving as the President of the Yokohama College of Pharmacy. Esaki is also the recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
in 1973 with Ivar Giaever
Ivar Giaever
Ivar Giaever is a physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973 with Leo Esaki and Brian Josephson "for their discoveries regarding tunnelling phenomena in solids". Giaever's share of the prize was specifically for his "experimental discoveries regarding tunnelling phenomena in ......
and Brian David Josephson
Brian David Josephson
Brian David Josephson, FRS is a Welsh physicist. He became a Nobel Prize laureate in 1973 for the prediction of the eponymous Josephson effect....
for his discovery of the phenomenon of electron tunneling. He is known for his invention of the Esaki diode, which exploited that phenomenon. This research was done when he was with Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (now known as Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
). He has also contributed as a pioneer of the semiconductor superlattice
Superlattice
Superlattice is a periodic structure of layers of two materials. Typically, the thickness of one layer is several nanometers.- Discovery :Superlattices were discovered early in the 20th century through their special X-ray diffraction patterns....
while he was with IBM.
Biography
He was born in Osaka, Japan. Studying physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
, he received his B.Sc. in 1947 and his Ph.D. in 1959. Esaki was awarded the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for research had conducted around 1958 regarding electron tunneling in solids. He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1960 and joined the IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
T. J. Watson Research Center
Thomas J. Watson Research Center
The Thomas J. Watson Research Center is the headquarters for the IBM Research Division.The center is on three sites, with the main laboratory in Yorktown Heights, New York, 38 miles north of New York City, a building in Hawthorne, New York, and offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.- Overview :The...
, where he became an IBM Fellow
IBM Fellow
An IBM Fellow is an appointed position at IBM made by IBM’s CEO. Typically only 4 to 9 IBM Fellows are appointed each year, at the annual Corporate Technical Recognition Event in May or June. It is the highest honor a scientist, engineer, or programmer at IBM can achieve.The IBM Fellows program...
in 1967. His first paper on the semiconductor superlattice
Superlattice
Superlattice is a periodic structure of layers of two materials. Typically, the thickness of one layer is several nanometers.- Discovery :Superlattices were discovered early in the 20th century through their special X-ray diffraction patterns....
was published when he was with IBM. A comment by Esaki in a 1987 number of Current Contents regarding the original paper on superlattices notes:
"The original version of the paper was rejected for publication by Physical ReviewPhysical ReviewPhysical Review is an American scientific journal founded in 1893 by Edward Nichols. It publishes original research and scientific and literature reviews on all aspects of physics. It is published by the American Physical Society. The journal is in its third series, and is split in several...
on the referee's unimaginative assertion that it was 'too speculative' and involved 'no new physics.' However, this proposal was quickly accepted by the Army Research Office..."
Subsequently, he served as the President of various Japanese universities, for example, University of Tsukuba
University of Tsukuba
is located in the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture in the Kantō region of Japan. The University has 28 college clusters and schools with a total of around 15,000 students...
and Shibaura Institute of Technology. Since 2006, he is serving as the President of the Yokohama College of Pharmacy. Esaki is also the recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
External links
- Leo Esaki - Biography. Retrieved Aug. 5, 2003 from http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1973/esaki-bio.html
- IBM record
- IEEE History Center - Leo Esaki. Retrieved Jul. 19, 2011 from http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Leo_Esaki
- Sony History - The Esaki Diode. Retrieved Aug. 5, 2003 from http://www.sony.net/Fun/SH/1-7/h5.html
- Freeview video 'An Interview with Leo Esaki' by the Vega Science Trust