Mathematical breakthroughs regarding superconducting electrons occurred to John Robert Schrieffer in 1957 while he was riding a New York City subway. This insight enabled the description of the ground state for all Cooper pairs simultaneously, providing a quantum solution that resolved decades of experimental data and earned him a share of the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Academic Foundation
Born in Oak Park in 1931, Schrieffer developed an early interest in electrical engineering through amateur radio and rocket hobbyism. After graduating from Eustis High School, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Although he began in electrical engineering, he transitioned to physics by his junior year, completing his bachelor's thesis under John C. Slater in 1953.
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Graduate studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign placed him under the guidance of John Bardeen. Working alongside Leon Cooper, Schrieffer contributed to the development of the BCS theory, named for their collective efforts. This model explained how phonon-electron interactions caused electrons to form correlated pairs. He detailed this work in his 1964 publication, Theory of Superconductivity.
Professional Trajectory
Schrieffer maintained a broad international and domestic research career. He held positions at the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Later in his career, he served as chief scientist of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and held a faculty appointment at Florida State University, where he remained until his death in 2019.
Legal Issues and Later Years
In 2004, Schrieffer was involved in a fatal automobile collision that resulted in a vehicular manslaughter conviction. He served a two-year prison sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. Following his release, he continued his academic pursuits until he passed away in a nursing facility in Tallahassee at the age of 88.
Fast facts
- Born: 1931, Oak Park
- Died: 2019, Tallahassee
- Nobel Prize in Physics: 1972
- National Medal of Science: 1983
- Alma mater: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Primary research field: Superconductivity
- Burial site: Greenwood Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What is the BCS theory?
It is the first successful quantum mechanical explanation of superconductivity, developed by John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and John Robert Schrieffer.
Where did Schrieffer conduct his most significant research?
His foundational work on superconductivity took place while he was a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Physics — 1972
- National Medal of Science — 1983
- Held posts at Exxon Research & Engineering Company, Florida State University and Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Educated at Eustis High School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Fields of research: physics and superconductivity
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