Theodor W. Hänsch - Biography#
Biography, Nobel Prize Organization
Full CV (2010)
Curriculum vitae#
Focus of Research:
Ultraprecise laser spectroscopy, quantum physics of ultracold atoms
Consulting
- 2007 Cold Quanta Inc., Boulder, CO, USA, Scientific Advisory Board
- Optical Comb, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, Scientific Advisory Board
- Zett Optics, Göttingen, Germany, Scientific Advisory Board
- 2006- Imprimatur Capital, London, UK, Scientific Advisory Board
- 2001- Menlo Systems GmbH, Martinsried, Germany, Co-Founder
- 1999 - TUI Optics GmbH, Martinsried, Germany, Scientific Advisory Board
- 1997 - Nanophotonics AG, Mainz, Germany, Board of Directors
- 1987 - 93 Siemens AG, Munich, Germany, Central Research Laboratory
- 1985 - 95 American Healthcare Fund, USA, Scientific Advisory Board
- 1985 - 92 Melles Griot Inc., USA, Scientific Advisory Board
- 1976 - 80 IBM Research Laboratories, Almaden, USA
Organization of Conferences
- 2006 Venice Intl. University, Chairman
- Intl. Workshop on Precision Physics of Simple Atomic Systems (PSAS),
- Intl. School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, “Metrology and Fundamental Constants”, Varenna, Co-Director
- 2000 Intl. Conf. „Hydrogen Atom II", Castiglione della Pescaia, Co-Organizer
- 1997 DPG-Schule für Physik, „Diodenlaser“, Bad Honnef, Co-Director
- „Frontiers in Laser Spectroscopy“, Varenna, Co-Director
- 1994 Intl. School of Physics „Enrico Fermi“,
- 1992 12th Intl. Conference on Atomic Physics, München, Co-Organizer
- 1988 Intl. Conference „Hydrogen Atom“, Pisa, Co-Organizer
- 1987 15th Intl. Conf. on Quant. Electronics, Baltimore, Co-Chairman
- 1986 14th Intl. Conf. on Quant. Electronics, San Francisco, Program Co-Chair
- 1985 7th Intl. Conf. on Laser Spectroscopy, Maui, Hawaii, Co-Chairman
- 1983 International Conference on Lasers, Canton, China, Steering Committee
- 1983 Industrial Affiliates Symposium, Stanford University, Organizer
- 1975 2nd Intl. Conf. on Laser Spectroscopy, Megève, Co-Chairman,(since 1987 Co-Chairman)
- 1973 - Steering Committee, International Conference on Laser Spectroscopy,
Committees, Boards, and Advisory Panels
- 2009 King Abdullah Institute of Nanotechnology, Chairman, Intl. Science Council
- 2009 IQOQI, Innsbruck & Wien, Austria, Scientific Advisory Board Member
- Research Council (Forschungsausschuß), LMU, Munich
- Member of Jury, Berthold Leibinger Innovation Award
- 2007- Advisory Board, Dahlem Conferences, Free University of Berlin
- Directive Council (Kuratorium), 850th Birthday of the City of Munich
- 2006- Directive Council (Kuratorium), Deutsches Museum, München
- 2005- SUPA Advisory Committee, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
- Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- 2004 Assessment Committee, Physics Research,
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck
- 2004- Advisory Board, Center for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information,
- 1999 - Advisory Board, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
- 1997 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize Committee (APS)
- 1996 - Scientific Advisory Board, Max-Born-Institut, Berlin
- 1993 - King Faisal International Prize Committee
- 1994 - 97 Stern-Gerlach-Preis-Komitee (DPG)
- 1994 - 96 STAC Committee, VIRGO Gravitational Wave Observatory
- 1993 - Executive Council, LENS, Florence, Italy
- 1992 - 93 NSF Review Panel, LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory
- 1991 Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, Physics Department, Scientific Board
- 1990 - 97 Rudolf-Kaiser-Preis-Komitee (DPG)
- 1989 - 90 BMFT Referee Board, BESSY II - Project, Berlin
- 1988 Italgas Prize Committee
- 1986 Davisson Germer Prize Committee (APS), Chairman
- 1985 Herbert P. Broida Prize Committee (APS)
- 1984 Frederic Ives Medal Committee (OSA)
- Panel on Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, U.S. Natl. Res. Council
- 1983 - 85 Steering Committee, Physics Survey, U.S. National Research Council
- 1982 - 86 IUPAP, Commission on Quantum Electronics
- 1981 Herbert P. Broida Prize Committee (APS)
- 1979 R. W. Woods Prize Committee (OSA)
- 1978 - 84 Executive Committee, Center for Materials Research, Stanford University
- 1977 – 85 Joint Council of Quantum Electronics (Representative of OSA)
- 1977 - 83 Evaluation Panel, Optical Physics Division, National Bureau of Standards
- 1977 - 79 Numerical Data Advisory Board, U.S. National Research Council
- 1977 R. W. Woods Prize Committee (OSA)
- 1976 - 78 Board of Directors, Optical Society of Northern California
- 1976 William F. Meggers Award Committee (OSA)
Editorial Boards
- 2007- Laser & Photonics Review, Editorial Board
- 1998 - Springer Series in Optical Sciences, Editorial Board
- 1997 - 06 Physics in Perspective, Board of Editors
- 1985 - 95 Physics Today, Advisory Committee
- 1983 - Applied Physics B (Springer Verlag), Board of Editors
- 1981 - 84 Journal of the OSA, Associate Editor
- 1975 - Optics Communications, Advisory Editor
- 1975 - 83 Metrologia
Memberships
- 2011 Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, Honorary Member
- 2010 European Physical Society, Honorary Member
- Academia Europea, Member
- German University Association (DHV), Germany, Honorary Member
- 2009 Optical Society of America, Honorary Member
- 2008 Intl. Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, (IRWF), NY, USA, Honorary Member
- 2007 European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Austria, Honorary Member
- Leibniz Society, Zwickau, Honorary Member
- Physikalischer Verein, Frankfurt/Main, Honorary Member
- Pontifical Academy of Science, Member
- 2006 German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina, Member
- The Society of Sigma Xi, Life Member
- Académie des Sciences, Institut de France, Foreign Associate
- 2005 Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, Member
- Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy, Foreign Associate
- 2002 U.S. National Academy of Science, Foreign Associate
- 2000 Laser Institute of America, Life Member
- 1991 Bavarian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Member
- 1986 The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Life Member
- 1983 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Member
- Optical Society of America, Fellow
- 1973 American Physical Society, Fellow
Honors and Awards
- 2011 Honorary Membership, German Physical Society (DPG)
- Honorary Doctorate, University of Strathclyde (Doctor of Science)
- 2010 Honorary Professor, National Chiang Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Honorary Chair Professor, University System of Taiwan
- Sayling Wen Excellent Lecture Award, National Central University, Taiwan
- Bavarian Constitution Medal in Gold,
- Order of Merit Advanced Grant, European Research Council
- 2009 James Joyce Award, University College, Dublin, Ireland
- Orden Pour Le Mérite f. Scientists & Arts, Germany
- 2008 Honorary Doctorate, Bar-Ilan-University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- 2007 Medal “De Scientia et Humanitate Meritis”, Acad. Sci., Czech Republic
- Honorary Citizen, City of Florence, Italy
- Carl Friedrich von Siemens Prize and Chair
- Rudolf Diesel Gold Medal, German Institute of Interventions
- Garbsen Ring, City of Garbsen
- Grosses Bundesverdienstkreuz mit Stern (Order of Merit, Germany)
- Ioannes Marcus Marci Medal, Czech Spectroscopic Society
- 2006 Honorary Doctorate, University of St. Andrews (Doctor of Science)
- Honorary Doctorate, Free University, Berlin (Dr. rer. nat. h.c.)
- Grand Officer Cross (Order of Merit, Republic of Italy)
- 2006 Honorary Citizen, City of Garching
- Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with Prof. J. L. Hall and Prof. R. Glauber
- Bambi Award, Burda Media
- Bavarian of Year, Bavarian Television
- Otto-Hahn-Prize, DPG, GDCh, and City of Frankfurt/M
- Frederic Ives Medal, Optical Society of America
- 2005 I. I. Rabi Award, IEEE
- Bayerischer Maximiliansorden (Order of Merit, Bavaria)
- 2003 Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (Order of Merit, Germany)
- Alfried Krupp Prize for Science
- 2002 Matteucci-Medal, Italian National Academy of Sciences
- SUNAMCO Medal, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
- 2001 Quantum Electronics and Optics Prize, European Physical Society
- Philip Morris Research Prize (atom laser)
- Arthur L. Schawlow Award, Laser Institute of America
- 2000 Stern-Gerlach Medal, Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
- Bavarian of the Year, Bavarian Television
- 1998 Philip Morris Research Prize (atomic clock)
- 1996 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize for Laser Science, American Physical Society
- 1995 Einstein Medal for Laser Science
- 1989 King Faisal International Prize for Science, Saudi Arabia
- 1988 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Preis, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- 1987 Italgas Prize for Research and Innovation, Italgas, Torino
- 1986 Michelson Medal, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia
- 1985 William F. Meggers Award, Optical Society of America
- Herbert P. Broida Prize, American Physical Society
- 1983 Cyrus B. Comstock Prize, U.S. National Academy of Science
- 1980 Otto Klung Prize, Freie Universität Berlin
- 1977 Alexander von Humboldt Senior U.S. Scientist Award
- Alfred P. Sloane Research Fellow
- 1973 California Scientist of the Year, Calif. Museum of Science and Industry
- Science Prize, Helmholtz-Gymnasium, Heidelberg
- 1961 Scheffel-Prize, Helmholtz-Gymnasium, Heidelberg
- 1960 Munich Fellow, Helmholtz-Gymnasium, Heidelberg
Named Lectures
- Texas A & M University at Doha, Quatar Foundation Distinguished Lecturer
- Technical University of Prague, Nobel Initiative, Honeywell Lecture
- 2009 University of Bonn, Plücker Lecture
- 2008 University of Ottawa, New Horizons Lecture
- 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, David and Edith Harris Lecture
- Czech Spectroscopic Society, Ioannes Marcus Marci Lecture
- University of Oxford, Cherwell Simon Lecture
- Free University, Berlin, Einstein Lecture
- University of Lund, Rydberg Lecture
- 2006 University of Ulm, Willis Lamb Lecture
- 2004 University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, John Anderson Lecture
- Humboldt University, Berlin, Max von Laue Lecture
- University of Uppsala, Angström Lecture
- 2004 University of Toronto, Harry L. Welsh Lectures
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Llewellyn G. Hoxton Lecture
- 2004 Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Lecture
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Erwin Schrödinger Lecture
- 2002 Northwestern University, Evanston, Walter and Christine Heilborn Lectures
- 2000 Scuola Normale, Pisa, Enrico Fermi Lectures
- 1999 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Richard C. Lord Lecture
- 1996 Scuola Normale, Pisa, Adriano Gozzini Lecture
- 1994 University of California, Berkeley, Emilio Segré Distinguished Lecture
Visiting Professorships
- 2001 Caltech, Pasadena, Gordon Moore Distinguished Scholar
- 1995 - University of Florence, Italy
- 1992 Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris
- 1988 - Stanford University, Consulting Professor
- 1982 Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- 1979 University of Florence, Italy
- 1979 University of Kyoto, Japan
- 1978 College de France, Paris
Appointments
- 1986 - Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany and Professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- 1975 - 86 Professor of Physics, Stanford University
- 1972 - 75 Associate Professor of Physics, Stanford University
- 1970 - 72 NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University, with Arthur L. Schawlow
- 1969 - 70 Assistant Professor, University of Heidelberg, Institute of Applied Physics
Education
- (Physics Diploma 1966, Doctor degree „summa cum laude“ 1969)
- 1961 - 69 University of Heidelberg
- 1952 - 61 Helmholtz-Gymnasium, Heidelberg (Abitur 1961)