Martin Pope
Encyclopedia
Martin Pope is a physical chemist
and professor emeritus at New York University
.
His discoveries of ohmic contact
s and research in the fields of organic insulator
s and semiconductor
s led to techniques enabling organic semiconductor
s to carry relatively large currents, and to convert electricity into light and vice versa. These discoveries have had application in electrophotography
, organic light-emitting diode
s (OLED), photovoltaic cells, biological sensors
, transistor
s, molecular electronics and batteries
.
For his work, Dr. Pope was awarded the Davy Medal
from the Royal Society
in 2006.
. He attended the City College of New York
and graduated with a bachelor's in chemistry in 1939.
While at CCNY, Pope assisted in nuclear experiments at Columbia University
and met Fermi
, Schwinger, Dunning and other key figures in the development of nuclear fission
. After graduation, he served as in the Army Air Force in the Pacific
, where he reached the rank of first lieutenant. After the war, Pope returned home and found work at Balco Research Laboratories, where he received two patents for thin film inventions. He received his Ph.D. in 1950 from the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.
He joined the faculty of New York University
in 1956 as a researcher in the Radiation and Solid State Physics Lab (RSSL). In 1988, he retired as professor of chemistry and director of the RSSL.
Since 1988, Pope has been professor emeritus, physical chemistry at NYU. He is still active in research, and most recently published papers in 2003 and 2004.
Pope married Lillie Pope
, an educational psychologist and author, in 1946. They live in Brooklyn.
Career at New York University
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
and professor emeritus at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
His discoveries of ohmic contact
Ohmic contact
An ohmic contact is a region on a semiconductor device that has been prepared so that the current-voltage curve of the device is linear and symmetric. If the I-V characteristic is non-linear and asymmetric, the contact is not ohmic, but is a blocking or Schottky contact...
s and research in the fields of organic insulator
Electrical insulation
thumb|250px|[[Coaxial Cable]] with dielectric insulator supporting a central coreThis article refers to electrical insulation. For insulation of heat, see Thermal insulation...
s and semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
s led to techniques enabling organic semiconductor
Organic semiconductor
An organic semiconductor is an organic material with semiconductor properties. Single molecules, short chain and organic polymers can be semiconductive. Semiconducting small molecules include the polycyclic aromatic compounds pentacene, anthracene, and rubrene...
s to carry relatively large currents, and to convert electricity into light and vice versa. These discoveries have had application in electrophotography
Electrophotography
Electrophotography is a dry photocopying technique invented by Chester Carlson in 1938, for which he was awarded on October 6, 1942...
, organic light-emitting diode
Organic light-emitting diode
An OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes...
s (OLED), photovoltaic cells, biological sensors
Biosensor
A biosensor is an analytical device for the detection of an analyte that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector component.It consists of 3 parts:* the sensitive biological element A biosensor is an analytical device for the detection of an analyte that combines a biological...
, transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
s, molecular electronics and batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
.
For his work, Dr. Pope was awarded the Davy Medal
Davy Medal
The Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1877 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff "for...
from the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 2006.
Biography
Martin Pope was born in 1918 to Jewish immigrants from Poland. The second of four sons, Pope grew up on New York's Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. He attended the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
and graduated with a bachelor's in chemistry in 1939.
While at CCNY, Pope assisted in nuclear experiments at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and met Fermi
Fermi
Fermi may refer to*Enrico Fermi*Laura Fermi, Enrico Fermi's wife*Enrico Fermi Award*Fermi Paradox , an album by Tub RingTechnology:*Fermi, the codename for a CUDA architecture graphics card developed by Nvidia*Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope...
, Schwinger, Dunning and other key figures in the development of nuclear fission
Fission
Fission is a splitting of something into two parts.Fission may refer to:*In physics, nuclear fission is a process where a large atomic nucleus is split into two smaller particles....
. After graduation, he served as in the Army Air Force in the Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
, where he reached the rank of first lieutenant. After the war, Pope returned home and found work at Balco Research Laboratories, where he received two patents for thin film inventions. He received his Ph.D. in 1950 from the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.
He joined the faculty of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1956 as a researcher in the Radiation and Solid State Physics Lab (RSSL). In 1988, he retired as professor of chemistry and director of the RSSL.
Since 1988, Pope has been professor emeritus, physical chemistry at NYU. He is still active in research, and most recently published papers in 2003 and 2004.
Pope married Lillie Pope
Lillie Pope
Lillie Pope, PhD is a pioneer in Special Education, with focus on Literacy, Learning Problems, Learning and Reading Disabilities. She was the founding Director of the earliest Learning Center as part of the Mental Health Service at a public hospital. She is author of books and producer of films...
, an educational psychologist and author, in 1946. They live in Brooklyn.
Timeline
Career Achievements- 1939: B.S. in physical chemistry, CCNY.
- 1942: Scientist, Radiation Laboratory at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
- 1942-1945: Private, first lieutenant, Pacific Theater, U.S. Armed Forces.
- 1946-1947: Research scientist, Balco Research Laboratory.
- 1950: Ph.D., Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.
- 1951-56: Technical director, Balco Research Laboratory.
- 1978: Scientific guest of state and visiting professor, People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. - 1981: Scientific guest of state and visiting professor, Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. - 1981: Visiting professor, University of Alexandria, Egypt.
Career at New York University
- 1956-1960: Senior research scientist, Radiation and Solid State Physics Lab (RSSL).
- 1960-1965: Research associate professor, RSSL.
- 1965-1968: Associate professor, chemistry.
- 1968-1988: Professor, chemistry. From 1968-1983, Pope served as co-director of the RSSL. From 1983-1988, he was director of the RSSL.
- 1988-present: Professor emeritus, physical chemistry.
Scientific Research and Discoveries
- Dark charge injecting (ohmic) contacts -- the basis of operation of essentially every organic semiconductor.
- Sensitized photoinjection -- demonstrated that the processes of carrier generation and carrier transport could be separated and is used in modern electrophotography and molecularly doped polymers. It is also the basis of Dye-Sensitized Excitonic Solar Cells.
- Photovoltaic effect using identical electrodes -- discovery of the exciton-induced photovoltaic effect makes possible high photovoltages.
- In Electrochemistry -- discovery of dark charge injection using electrolyte electrodes created a new field of electrochemistry, based on organic electrodes. This has made biosensors possible.
- Electroluminescence in organic semiconductors -- opened a field of semiconductors that has led to the development of the modern organic light-emitting diodes (OLED).
- Autoionization -- This discovery and that of the closely related charge transfer process, is the presently accepted mechanism for intrinsic photocarrier generation.
- Initial (geminate) recombination -- provided the presently accepted explanation for the small photoionization efficiency in low dielectric constant organic molecular semiconductors. (Discovered concurrently by Kepler and Coppage).
- Two-quantum external photoelectric effect in organic crystals
- Exciton charge transfer, fission and caging
- Photophoretic spectroscopy
- Thin films -- patents for the development of low temperature coefficient resistive and capacitive film, electrically conducting thin film polymeric hygrometer and thin film hermetically sealed resistors.
Publications, Awards
- with Charles E. Swenberg: Electronic Processes in Organic Crystals (1982; Oxford University Press)
- Originated the conference: "Electronic Processes in Organic Materials", Gordon Research Conferences.
- International conference: "Electronic Processes in the Organic Condensed Phase: a Symposium in Honor of Professor Martin Pope", held at NYU in 1988.
- with Charles E. Swenberg: Electronic Processes in Organic Crystals and Polymers (1992; Oxford University Press)
- Townsend Harris Medal, 1996
- International conference: "Symposium on Electronic Processes in Organic Condensed Matter in Honor of the Eightieth Birthday of Professor Martin Pope," held at Rochester University, 1998.
- Royal Society of UK 2006 Davy MedalDavy MedalThe Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1877 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff "for...
, awarded for "his pioneering work in the field of molecular semiconductors".