Congratulatory
letter from Congressman Boehlert (requires Acrobat
Reader)
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Nobel
laureate John L. (Jan) Hall
© 2005
Geoffrey Wheeler
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a high-resolution version of this photo contact inquiries@nist.gov.
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Boulder,
Colo.—John L. (Jan) Hall of the Commerce Department's
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and
the University of Colorado at Boulder and Theodor W. Hänsch
of the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics, Garching and
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany, today
were named winners of the 2005
Nobel Prize in Physics, sharing the honor with Roy J.
Glauber of Harvard University.
Hall, 71, is a
scientist emeritus in the NIST Quantum Physics Division and
a fellow of JILA, a joint research institution of NIST and
the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. He was one of
the founding fellows of JILA (created in 1962 as the Joint
Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics), and he significantly
contributed to the development of the laser, first demonstrated
in 1961, from a laboratory curiosity to one of the fundamental
tools of modern science and a ubiquitous component of modern
communications systems.
Hall is known as
a preeminent laser experimentalist, concentrating on improving
the precision and accuracy with which lasers can produce a
specific, sharp frequency or color of light, and the stability
with which they can hold that frequency. His work has been
essential to the development of the laser as a precision measurement
tool. In the 1960s he worked on the development of the methane-stabilized
helium-neon laser, which became the cornerstone of a famous
experiment at NIST to measure the speed of light at least
100 times better than any previous determination. The work
ultimately led to a fundamental redefinition of the meter,
the basic unit of distance measurement.
Precise control
of the frequency and improved stability have enabled a broad
range of laser applications in science and technology, including
precision spectroscopy for physical and chemical analysis,
new tests and measurements of fundamental physical laws and
constants, time and length metrology, and fiber-optic communications,
among others.
Hall shares the
Nobel Prize with Hänsch "for their contributions
to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy,
including the optical frequency comb technique.”
An optical
frequency comb is generated by a laser specially designed
to produce a series of very short (a few millionth billionths
of a second), equally spaced pulses of light. The shorter
a pulse of laser light is, the more individual colors—or
frequencies—go into making it, and in the comb the individual
frequencies are “locked” so that they stay in
phase with each other. The name arises because a graph of
the frequencies in the pulse looks like a very fine-toothed
comb of equally spaced spikes. The spikes can be used as a
sort of measuring stick to determine the frequency of another
laser with extraordinarily high precision, currently a few
parts in 1,000,000,000,000,000 or better. Such measurements
enable a broad array of new technical capabilities that depend
on frequency, ranging from better master clocks and subtle
experiments on the nature of the universe to a more accurate
global positioning system for navigation.
The call came at
3:15 a.m. informing Hall he was a co-recipient of the physics
prize. "It was quite unexpected," said Hall. "I
already had worked out what I was going to say when it was
announced that Ted Hänsch had won."
Hall described
the specific work for which he and Hänsch were cited
as a coming together of several different strands of laser
research developed by a number of researchers over the past
four decades. He also cited the agency he retired from in
November of last year, “Sometimes the best plan for
managing an organization is to get the right people and let
them follow where their professional interests take them in
areas important to the organization. Then good things happen.
The proof of that is the now three Nobel Prizes shared by
NIST researchers. I'm extremely grateful to NIST and the Department
of Commerce for supporting me in the work I love. The JILA
experiment in joint federal lab/university cooperation has
created an environment in which excellence of research and
post-graduate training can prosper. It's been a great 44 years.”
As
an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology
Administration, NIST develops and promotes measurement, standards
and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade and
improve the quality of life.
Quotes
about the 2005 Nobel Prize
Secretary
of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez
All of us at the
Department of Commerce are proud of our colleague Jan Hall
and his achievements in the area of physics that have culminated
with this honor. For many years, Jan has contributed toward
the great work done at the Commerce Department's National
Institute of Standards and Technology. He and his co-winners
were among the foremost figures in the development of the
laser as a tool of science and industry. In his dedication
to the measurement mission of NIST and the education of young
scientists, Jan exemplifies the best in both science and public
service.
NIST Director William Jeffrey
Jan Hall's
work over the past four decades gave us a firm foundation
in precision laser technology—now an essential tool
of advanced physics—and has helped keep us at the forefront
of the field. We are equally grateful for his life-long work
in training and mentoring new generations of inspired physicists,
several of whom we now include among our star researchers.
On behalf of all of NIST, I congratulate Jan and his colleagues,
Ted Hänsch and Roy Glauber, for this well-deserved recognition.
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