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Scientist

Isidor Isaac Rabi

1898–1988 · Quantum mechanics, Atomic physics, Nuclear magnetic resonance
American physicist, Nobel laureate. He developed the magnetic resonance method for studying atomic nuclei, and discovered Rabi oscillations — coherent transitions between quantum states under the action of a resonant field. Rabi oscillations are the basic mechanism for controlling qubits in modern quantum processors.

Biography

Born in Austria-Hungary, he emigrated to the USA. He studied at Cornell and Columbia Universities. He worked at Columbia University, where he built a strong school of atomic physics. During the war, he participated in radar development and the Manhattan Project. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics (1944) for his resonance method for measuring nuclear magnetic moments. He served as a science advisor to the US President.

Key discoveries

💡 Rabi was one of the few scientists who insisted on the peaceful use of atomic energy and opposed the arms race. His student Julian Schwinger became one of the creators of quantum electrodynamics.
"He said that physics has filled the world not only with new devices, but also with new ideas."
Concepts
quantum computerquantum informationquantum measurementsuperposition
Laws
Zeeman effect
Scientists
Alain AspectDavid DeutschLouis de BroglieJohn Stewart BellSerge HarocheDavid BohmCharles BennettJohn von Neumann

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