A discovery in 1986 of superconductivity in lanthanum barium copper oxide at 35 K dismantled long-standing limitations in material science. Karl Alexander Müller, working alongside Georg Bednorz, achieved this breakthrough by systematically testing oxides at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory. This finding accelerated the development of high-temperature superconductors, altering the trajectory of condensed matter physics research worldwide.
Formative Years and Education
Born in Basel in 1927, Müller experienced a childhood defined by mobility, living in Salzburg, Dornach, and Lugano. Following his mother's death, he attended the Evangelical College in Schiers from 1938 to 1945. He enrolled at ETH Zurich, where he studied under Wolfgang Pauli. After completing his diploma in 1952, he briefly worked on the Eidophor display system before returning to ETH Zurich to earn his doctorate in 1957.
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Müller joined the Battelle Memorial Institute in 1958, leading a magnetic resonance group. In 1963, he transitioned to the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon, maintaining a parallel academic role at the University of Zurich, where he became a professor in 1970. His research focused primarily on strontium titanate and perovskite compounds, investigating their ferroelectric and soft-mode properties for nearly 15 years.
Advancing Superconductivity
In the early 1980s, Müller redirected his focus toward high-temperature superconductivity. By 1983, he recruited Georg Bednorz to assist in testing oxides, an approach many peers viewed as unlikely to succeed. Their 1986 success surpassed the previous critical temperature limit, which had been stagnant at 23 K since 1973. This event prompted global verification, notably by Paul Chu and Shoji Tanaka, leading to rapid subsequent discoveries in materials like YBCO.
Accolades and Professional Standing
The scientific community recognized the speed and significance of the 1986 discovery by awarding Müller and Bednorz the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1987. This remains the shortest interval between a discovery and the receipt of a Nobel Prize. Throughout his career, he received the Robert Wichard Pohl Prize, the Fritz London Award, and the Wilhelm Exner Medal. He was a member of numerous institutions, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Fast facts
- Born: 1927, Basel, Switzerland
- Died: 2023, Zurich, Switzerland
- Education: ETH Zurich
- Nobel Prize in Physics: 1987
- Primary Research: Superconductivity
- IBM Fellow since: 1982
- Key Discovery Year: 1986
Questions readers ask
What specific materials did Müller study before his breakthrough?
He focused on strontium titanate (SrTiO3) and related perovskite compounds, researching their photochromic and ferroelectric properties.
What was the significance of the 35 K temperature result?
It broke a 13-year stagnation in superconductivity research, where critical temperatures had not surpassed 23 K.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Physics — 1987
- Notable work: superconductivity
- Held posts at IBM Research – Zurich and University of Zurich
- Educated at ETH Zurich
- Fields of research: physics
