John Bardeen and Walter Brattain
- John Bardeen
-
- Born:
- May 23, 1908, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Died:
- January 30, 1991, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Physicist, Electrical Engineer
- Walter Houser Brattain
-
- Born:
- February 10, 1902, Amoy, China
- Died:
- October 13, 1987, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Physicist
Early Life and Education
John Bardeen
- Received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Physics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1928 and 1929, respectively.
- Earned a Ph.D. in Mathematical Physics from Princeton University in 1936.
Walter Houser Brattain
- Received a B.S. from Whitman College in 1924.
- Earned an M.A. in Physics from the University of Oregon in 1926.
Career and Major Achievements
Working together at Bell Telephone Laboratories, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, along with William Shockley, invented the point-contact transistor in 1947.
John Bardeen
- Worked as a geophysicist for Western Geophysical Company from 1930 to 1933.
- Joined Bell Labs in 1945.
- Professor of Physics and Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1951 until his retirement.
- Developed the BCS theory of superconductivity (with Leon Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer), earning him a second Nobel Prize in Physics in 1972.
Walter Houser Brattain
- Joined Bell Labs in 1929.
- Focused on surface physics, particularly the properties of semiconductor surfaces.
- Worked on the development of silicon solar cells after his transistor research.
Notable Works
| Work | Description |
|---|---|
| The Transistor | The point-contact transistor, invented by John Bardeen and Walter Brattain at Bell Labs, revolutionized electronics. |
| BCS Theory | John Bardeen co-developed the BCS theory, providing a comprehensive explanation of superconductivity. |
Legacy and Impact
The invention of the transistor by John Bardeen and Walter Brattain revolutionized electronics, paving the way for smaller, more efficient, and more reliable electronic devices. Their work had a profound impact on the development of computers, communication systems, and countless other technologies. Bardeen's later work on superconductivity further cemented his legacy as one of the most important physicists of the 20th century.