Nico Bloembergen: Master of Light

Description

This biography is a personal portrait of one of the best-known Dutch physicists, Nicolaas Bloembergen. Born in 1920 in Dordrecht, Bloembergen studied physics in Utrecht, leaving after World War II for the United States, where he became an American citizen in 1958. At Harvard University, he pioneered nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR, used in chemistry and biology for structure identification; moreover leading to MRI), laser theory and nonlinear optics. In 1978 he was awarded the Lorentz Medal for his contribution to the theory of nonlinear optics (used in fiber optics), and in 1981 he received the Nobel Prize for physics, along with Arthur Schawlow and Kai Siegbahn. The book is based on numerous conversations with Nicolaas Bloembergen himself, his wife Deli Brink, his family, and colleagues in science. It describes his childhood and study in Bilthoven and Utrecht, the first postwar years at Harvard, the discoveries of masers and lasers, and the award of the Nobel Prize. It also delves into Bloembergen's involvement in American politics, particularly his role in Ronald Reagan's controversial "Star Wars" program. Front Matter ....Pages i-xx Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 The Bloembergen Dynasty: High Peaks and Deep Valleys (Rob Herber)....Pages 3-20 Bilthoven: Playground for the Elite (1925–1938). Primary School and High School (Rob Herber)....Pages 21-50 Front Matter ....Pages 51-51 In the Footsteps of Lorentz, Kramers, and Ornstein (Rob Herber)....Pages 53-71 BSc and MSc Exams in Wartime—Infected by Science (Rob Herber)....Pages 73-92 Quantum Mechanics and Oil Lamps: Bilthoven in the War (Rob Herber)....Pages 93-108 Front Matter ....Pages 109-109 A Leap into the Deep (Rob Herber)....Pages 111-127 To Harvard: Tintin in America (1946–1947) (Rob Herber)....Pages 129-164 Doctorate in Leiden: In the Lab of Kamerlingh Onnes (1947–1948) (Rob Herber)....Pages 165-183 A Permanent Position in Harvard. Marriage (Rob Herber)....Pages 185-212 From Atoms to Humans: Chemical Shift and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Rob Herber)....Pages 213-224 Front Matter ....Pages 225-225 The Birth of the Maser—Oil and the Milky Way: Applications of the Maser (Rob Herber)....Pages 227-247 The Wild West and Soviets—Laser Applications from Eyes to Cars (Rob Herber)....Pages 249-269 Front Matter ....Pages 271-271 From Lasers to Nonlinear Optics (Rob Herber)....Pages 273-294 Crowning Glory: The Nobel Prize (Rob Herber)....Pages 295-316 Front Matter ....Pages 317-317 Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (Rob Herber)....Pages 319-348 Front Matter ....Pages 349-349 Emeritus, But Not Retired (Rob Herber)....Pages 351-380 Back Matter ....Pages 381-381