The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2005 with one half to Roy J. Glauber Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA “for his contribution to the quantum theory of optical coherence” and one half jointly to John L. Hall JILA, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO, USA and Theodor W. Hänsch Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany “for their contributions to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique”.

Thus light exhibits a double nature – it can be considered both as waves and as a stream of particles. Roy Glauber has established the basis of Quantum Optics, in which quantum theory encompasses the field of optics. He could explain the fundamental differences between hot sources of light such as light bulbs, with a mixture of frequencies and phases, and lasers which give a specific frequency and phase.

The important contributions by John Hall and Theodor Hänsch have made it possible to measure frequencies with an accuracy of fifteen digits. Lasers with extremely sharp colours can now be constructed and with the frequency comb technique precise readings can be made of light of all colours. This technique makes it possible to carry out studies of, for example, the stability of the constants of nature over time and to develop extremely accurate clocks and improved GPS technology.

Information available on the press release at the Nobel Prize website.

October 4th, 2005 | General Science, Physics