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Leo Esaki

! scientist · # tag · @ author
1925– · Quantum physics, Semiconductor physics, Electronics
The first experimenter to observe quantum tunneling in solids; created the tunnel diode, ushering in a new era of nanoelectronics.

Biography

Graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1947. Began his career at Sony, where in 1957 he discovered the tunneling effect in semiconductors, creating the Esaki diode. In 1960 he moved to the USA, worked at IBM, then at the University of Tokyo. Nobel Prize laureate in Physics 1973 (jointly with Josephson and Giaever).

Key discoveries

💡 When Esaki proposed using heavily doped p-n junctions to observe tunneling, colleagues considered the idea useless. Even after presenting at an international conference, he met with no understanding, and only his persistence turned the Esaki diode into reality.
Quote: "“I believed that tunneling could be seen in a simple diode, and I was right — that’s how new worlds are born.”"
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Related tags
excitonquantum dotquantum tunnelingsiliconuncertainty principlewave-particle duality
Related laws
tunnel effectJosephson effect
Related scientists
Robert HookeLouis de BroglieArthur ComptonWilliam Lawrence BraggGeorge GamowNiels BohrChristiaan HuygensAlbert Einstein

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