Erwin Schrödinger

Erwin Schrodinger at U Vienna

Erwin Schrodinger2

DIAS 1942 photo

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Grave Schroedinger

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Erwin Schrödinger Nobel Prize diploma

Erwin Schrödinger (12 August 1887 – 4 January 1961) was an Austrian-Irish physicist and a key figure in the development of quantum mechanics. He is best known for his work on the wave function and the Schrödinger equation, which describes how the quantum state of a physical system changes over time. In 1933, Schrödinger was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the wave theory of matter and to other fundamentals of quantum mechanics.

Early Life and Education

Erwin Schrödinger was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1887. He was the only child of Rudolf Schrödinger, a botanist, and Georgine Emilia Brenda, a daughter of Alexander Bauer, a professor of chemistry at the Technical University of Vienna. Schrödinger showed an early interest in science and mathematics. He attended the Akademisches Gymnasium in Vienna and later enrolled at the University of Vienna, where he studied physics under the guidance of Fritz Hasenöhrl. He received his PhD in 1910 for a thesis on the conduction of electricity in gases.

Career

After completing his doctorate, Schrödinger held various academic positions. He served in the Austrian army during World War I. After the war, he worked as an assistant to Max Wien in Jena, and later to Max Planck in Berlin. In 1921, he became a professor at the University of Zurich, where he developed his most famous work, the Schrödinger equation, in 1926. This period was marked by his significant contributions to quantum mechanics, including the concept of wave-particle duality.

Schrödinger's work on quantum mechanics led to his receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933, which he shared with Paul Dirac. His discovery of new productive forms of atomic theory significantly advanced the field.

In 1933, due to the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, Schrödinger decided to leave the country. He held a position at the University of Oxford in England before moving to Graz, Austria, in 1936. However, the political situation in Austria forced him to leave again in 1938. He found refuge in Ireland, where he became the Director of the School for Theoretical Physics at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Dublin, a position he held until his retirement in 1955.

Legacy

Erwin Schrödinger's contributions to physics, particularly to quantum mechanics, are monumental. The Schrödinger equation remains a fundamental tool in the study of quantum systems. Beyond his scientific achievements, Schrödinger was known for his philosophical inquiries into the implications of quantum mechanics, as evidenced in his famous thought experiment, Schrödinger's cat, which illustrates the problem of quantum superposition.

Schrödinger also made contributions to other areas of physics and science, including statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, and color theory. His interdisciplinary work and philosophical approach to science have left a lasting impact on both physics and the philosophy of science.

Death

Erwin Schrödinger died in Vienna on 4 January 1961. His legacy continues to influence the fields of physics, quantum mechanics, and beyond. He is remembered as one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics and a pivotal figure in 20th-century physics.