Origins & Early Life

Robert Betts Laughlin (born November 1, 1950) is an American physicist. He is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Along with Horst L. Störmer of Columbia University and Daniel C. Tsui of Princeton University, he was awarded a share of the 1998 Nobel Prize in physics for their explanation of the fractional quantum Hall effect. In 1983, Laughlin was first to provide a many body wave function, now known as the Laughlin wavefunction, for the fractional quantum Hall effect, which was able to correctly explain the fractionalized charge observed in experiments. This state has since been interpreted as the integer quantum Hall effect of the composite fermion.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His 2017 paper, "Pumped thermal grid storage with heat exchange" inspired Project Malta at Google X and subsequently Malta inc. Laughlin was born in Visalia, California. He earned a B.A. in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley in 1972, and his Ph.D. in physics in 1979 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Between 2004 and 2006, he served as the president of KAIST in Daejeon, South Korea.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Silvestri — Contemporary (Born in 1950) (1950): Award-winning composer renowned for epic film scores, especially for blockbuster franchises.
• Arthur D. Levinson — Contemporary (Born in 1950) (1950): Prominent American businessman, former CEO of Genentech, and board member for Apple Inc.
• Billy Ocean — Contemporary (Born in 1950) (1950): Trinidadian-British R&B singer known for international hits from the 1970s to 1980s.
• Alfred Jarry — Shared historical date (11-01 · Died) (1907): Pioneering French symbolist writer, known for Ubu Roi and coining 'pataphysics'
• Alfred Wegener — Shared historical date (11-01 · Born) (1880): Pioneering geophysicist known for proposing the theory of continental drift.
• Bobby McFerrin — Historical peer (Born in 1950) (1950): Pioneering improvisational vocal artist known for a cappella mastery and 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'.
• Chris Claremont — Historical peer (Born in 1950) (1950): Pioneering comic book writer known for elevating the X-Men franchise.
• Aitana Bonmatí — Historical peer (Born in 1998) (1998): Star Spanish midfielder known for her decorated career with Barcelona and the Spain national team.
• Akira Kurosawa — Historical peer (Died in 1998) (1998): Master of Japanese cinema, known for dynamic style and epic storytelling.
• Alfred Tarski — Historical peer (Died in 1983) (1983): Pioneering logician known for model theory and the formal concept of truth.
• 1950 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1950
• November 1 (11-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 1