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Dan Shechtman

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Dan Shechtman
דן שכטמן‎
Dan Shechtman, Nobel Prize 2011 press conference.
Born(1941-01-24)January 24, 1941(age 83)
Tel Aviv,Mandatory Palestine
EducationTechnion – Israel Institute of Technology
Alma materTechnion
Known forQuasicrystals
SpouseTzipora Shechtman
ChildrenYoav Shechtman
AwardsWeizmann Prize(1993)
Israel Prize(1998)
Wolf Prize in Physics(1999)
Gregori Aminoff Prize(2000)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry(2011)
Scientific career
FieldsMaterials science
InstitutionsWright-Patterson Air Force Base
Johns Hopkins University
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Iowa State University
Technion
Tohoku University

Dan Shechtman(Hebrew:דן שכטמן;born January 24, 1941)[1]is the Philip Tobias Professor of Materials Science at theTechnion – Israel Institute of Technology,an Associate of theUS Department of Energy'sAmes National Laboratory,and Professor of Materials Science atIowa State University.On April 8, 1982, while on sabbatical at theU.S. National Bureau of StandardsinWashington, D.C.,Shechtman discovered theicosahedral phase,which opened the new field ofquasiperiodic crystals.[2]

He was awarded the 2011Nobel Prize in Chemistryfor the discovery of quasicrystals, making him one of six Israelis who have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.[3][4]

Biography

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Dan Shechtman was born in 1941 inTel Aviv,in what was thenMandatory Palestine;the city became part of the new state of Israel in 1948. He grew up inPetah TikvaandRamat Ganin aJewishfamily.[5]His grandparents had immigrated to Palestine during theSecond Aliyah(1904–1914) and founded a printing house. As a child Shechtman was fascinated by Jules Verne'sThe Mysterious Island(1874), which he read many times. His childhood dream was to become an engineer like the main protagonist,Cyrus Smith.

I thought that was the best thing a person could do. The engineer in the book knows mechanics and physics, and he creates a whole way of life on the island out of nothing. I wanted to be like that.

— Dan Shechtman[6]

Shechtman is married to Prof. Tzipora Shechtman, Head of the Department of Counseling and Human Development atHaifa University,and author of two books onpsychotherapy.[7][8]They have a sonYoav Shechtman(a postdoctoral researcher in the lab ofW. E. Moerner) and three daughters: Tamar Finkelstein (an organizational psychologist at the Israeli police leadership center), Ella Shechtman-Cory (a PhD inclinical psychology), and Ruth Dougoud-Nevo (also a PhD in clinical psychology).[9][10]

Academic career

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Meeting at NIST in 1985 where Shechtman (left) explains the atomic structure of quasicrystals

After receiving his Ph.D. inMaterials Engineeringfrom theTechnionin 1972, where he also obtained his B.Sc. inMechanical Engineeringin 1966 and M.Sc. in Materials Engineering in 1968,[1]Shechtman was anNRCfellow at theAerospace Research LaboratoriesatWright Patterson AFB,Ohio, where he studied for three years the microstructure and physicalmetallurgyoftitaniumaluminides. In 1975, he joined the department of materials engineering at Technion. In 1981–1983 he was on sabbatical atJohns Hopkins University,where he studied rapidly solidifiedaluminumtransition metal alloys, in a joint program withNBS.During this study he discovered theicosahedral phasewhich opened the new field ofquasiperiodic crystals.

In 1992–1994 he was on sabbatical atNational Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST), where he studied the effect of the defect structure ofCVD diamondon its growth and properties. Shechtman's Technion research is conducted in the Louis Edelstein Center, and in the Wolfson Centre which is headed by him. He served on several Technion Senate Committees and headed one of them.

Shechtman joined the Iowa State faculty in 2004. He currently spends about five months a year inAmeson a part-time appointment.[3][11]

Since 2014 he has been the head of the International Scientific Council ofTomsk Polytechnic University.[12]

Work on quasicrystals

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Shechtman's Nobel Prize–winning work was in the area ofquasicrystals,ordered crystalline materials lacking repeating structures, such as this Al-Pd-Mn alloy.[13]
Interview with Dan Shechtman after his Nobel lecture

From the day Shechtman published his findings on quasicrystals in 1984 to the dayLinus Paulingdied in 1994, Shechtman experienced hostility from him toward the non-periodic interpretation. "For a long time it was me against the world," he said. "I was a subject of ridicule and lectures about the basics of crystallography. The leader of the opposition to my findings was the two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling, the idol of the American Chemical Society and one of the most famous scientists in the world. For years, 'til his last day, he fought against quasi-periodicity in crystals. He was wrong, and after a while, I enjoyed every moment of this scientific battle, knowing that he was wrong."[14]

Linus Paulingis noted saying "There is no such thing as quasicrystals, only quasi-scientists."[15]Pauling was apparently unaware of a paper in 1981 byH. Kleinertand K. Maki which had pointed out the possibility of a non-periodicIcosahedral Phaseinquasicrystals[16](see the historical notes). The head of Shechtman's research group told him to "go back and read the textbook" and a couple of days later "asked him to leave for 'bringing disgrace' on the team."[17]Shechtman felt rejected.[15]On publication of his paper, other scientists began to confirm and accept empirical findings of the existence of quasicrystals.[18][19]

The Nobel Committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that "his discovery was extremely controversial," but that his work "eventually forced scientists to reconsider their conception of the very nature of matter."[15] Through Shechtman's discovery, several other groups were able to form similar quasicrystals by 1987, finding these materials to have low thermal andelectrical conductivity,while possessing high structural stability.[20][21][22]Quasicrystals have also been found naturally.[23][24]

Aquasiperiodiccrystal, or, in short,quasicrystal,is astructurethat isorderedbut notperiodic.A quasicrystalline pattern can continuously fill all available space, but it lackstranslational symmetry.[25]"Aperiodic mosaics, such as those found in the medieval Islamic mosaics of theAlhambra palaceinSpainand theDarb-i Imam shrineinIran,have helped scientists understand what quasicrystals look like at the atomic level. In those mosaics, as in quasicrystals, the patterns are regular – they follow mathematical rules – but they never repeat themselves. "[15]"An intriguing feature of such patterns, [which are] also found in Arab mosaics, is that the mathematical constant known as the Greek lettersphiortau,or the "golden ratio",occurs over and over again. Underlying it is a sequence worked out byFibonacciin the 13th century, where each number is the sum of the preceding two. "[15]

Quasicrystalline materials could be[needs update]used in a large number of applications, including the formation of durable steel used for fine instrumentation, and non-stick insulation for electrical wires and cooking equipment.,[26][27]but presently have no technological applications.

The Nobel prize was 10 millionSwedish krona(approximatelyUS$1.5 million).[15]

Presidential bid

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On January 17, 2014, in an interview with Israel'sChannel One,Shechtman announced his candidacy forPresident of Israel.[28]Shechtman received the endorsement of the ten Members of Knesset required to run. In theelections,held on June 10, 2014, he was awarded only one vote. This led Israeli press and Israeli humorists to qualify Shechtman as "quasi-president" in reference to the "quasi-scientist" quote.

Awards

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Shechtman in Stockholm, June 2016

Published works

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  • Shechtman, D.; Blech, I.; Gratias, D.;Cahn, J.W.(1984)."Metallic Phase with Long-Range Orientational Order and No Translational Symmetry".Physical Review Letters.53(20): 1951.Bibcode:1984PhRvL..53.1951S.doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.53.1951.
  • Swartzendruber, L.; Shechtman, D.; Bendersky, L.; Cahn, J.W. (1985). "Nuclear γ-ray resonance observations in an aluminum-based icosahedral quasicrystal".Physical Review B.32(2): 1383–1385.Bibcode:1985PhRvB..32.1383S.doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.32.1383.PMID9937171.
  • Cahn, John W.; Gratias, Denis; Shechtman, Dan (1986). "Pauling's model not universally accepted".Nature.319(6049): 102.Bibcode:1986Natur.319..102C.doi:10.1038/319102a0.S2CID4372556.
  • Shechtman, Dan (1988). "The Icosahedral Quasiperiodic Phase".Physica Scripta.T23:49.Bibcode:1988PhST...23...49S.doi:10.1088/0031-8949/1988/T23/008.S2CID250844166.
  • Cahn, John W.; Shechtman, Dan; Gratias, Denis (1986)."Inde xing of icosahedral quasiperiodic crystals".Journal of Materials Research.1(1): 13.Bibcode:1986JMatR...1...13C.doi:10.1557/JMR.1986.0013.S2CID138068389.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abDan ShechtmanArchivedNovember 10, 2011, at theWayback Machine.(PDF). Retrieved on January 28, 2012.
  2. ^"Israeli Wins Chemistry Nobel For Quasicrystals".npr.org.RetrievedOctober 5,2011.
  3. ^abIowa State, Ames Laboratory, Technion Scientist Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry.Newswise (October 5, 2011). Retrieved on January 28, 2012.
  4. ^Multiple sources:
  5. ^JINFO."Jewish Nobel Prize Winners in Chemistry".jinfo.org.RetrievedMarch 30,2023.
  6. ^"Clear as crystal".Haaretz. April 1, 2011.RetrievedOctober 6,2011.
  7. ^Professor Zipora ShechtmanArchivedApril 1, 2012, at theWayback Machine.Edu.haifa.ac.il. Retrieved on January 28, 2012.
  8. ^He deserves it, wife of 2011 Nobel Chemistry laureate saysArchivedOctober 26, 2011, at theWayback Machine.Monstersandcritics (October 5, 2011). Retrieved on January 28, 2012.
  9. ^Shechtman Wins Chemistry Nobel for Crystal FindArchivedDecember 18, 2011, at theWayback Machine.Mobile.bloomberg (October 5, 2011). Retrieved on January 28, 2012.
  10. ^Genealogy of the Shechtman family.Geni (August 12, 2010). Retrieved on January 28, 2012.
  11. ^Iowa State prof wins Nobel in chemistry(Chicago Tribune,October 5, 2011)
  12. ^"В ТПУ впервые прошло заседание Международного научного совета".Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 1,2014.
  13. ^Ünal, B; V. Fournée; K.J. Schnitzenbaumer; C. Ghosh;C.J. Jenks;A.R. Ross; T.A. Lograsso; J.W. Evans; P.A. Thiel (2007)."Nucleation and growth of Ag islands on fivefold Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystal surfaces: Dependence of island density on temperature and flux"(PDF).Physical Review B.75(6): 064205.Bibcode:2007PhRvB..75f4205U.doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.75.064205.S2CID53382207.
  14. ^"Iowa State, Ames Laboratory, Technion scientist wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry"(Press release). Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University. October 5, 2011.
  15. ^abcdef Lannin, Patrick (October 5, 2011)."Ridiculed crystal work wins Nobel for Israeli".Reuters.RetrievedOctober 22,2011.
  16. ^Kleinert H., Maki K. (1981)."Lattice Textures in Cholesteric Liquid Crystals"(PDF).Fortschritte der Physik.29(5): 219–259.Bibcode:1981ForPh..29..219K.doi:10.1002/prop.19810290503.
  17. ^ Jha, Alok (January 5, 2013)."Dan Shechtman: 'Linus Pauling said I was talking nonsense'".Guardian.
  18. ^Bradley, David (October 5, 2011)."Dan Shechtman discusses quasicrystals".ScienceBase.RetrievedOctober 5,2011.Shechtman video interview
  19. ^ "Clear as crystal".Haaretz. April 1, 2011.RetrievedOctober 6,2011.
  20. ^Day, Charles (February 1, 2001)."Binary Quasicrystals Discovered That Are Stable and Icosahedral".Physics Today.54(2): 17–18.Bibcode:2001PhT....54b..17D.doi:10.1063/1.1359699.ISSN0031-9228.
  21. ^Wang, N.; Chen, H.; Kuo, K. H. (August 31, 1987)."Two-dimensional quasicrystal with eightfold rotational symmetry".Physical Review Letters.59(9): 1010–1013.Bibcode:1987PhRvL..59.1010W.doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.1010.PMID10035936.
  22. ^Bancel, Peter A.; Heiney, Paul A. (June 15, 1986)."Icosahedral aluminum--transition-metal alloys".Physical Review B.33(12): 7917–7922.Bibcode:1986PhRvB..33.7917B.doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.33.7917.PMID9938181.
  23. ^Crane, Leah (December 8, 2016)."Third-ever natural quasicrystal found in Siberian meteorite".New Scientist.RetrievedJanuary 28,2022.
  24. ^Bindi, Luca; Eiler, John M.; Guan, Yunbin; Hollister, Lincoln S.; MacPherson, Glenn; Steinhardt, Paul J.; Yao, Nan (January 31, 2012)."Evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of a natural quasicrystal".Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.109(5): 1396–1401.doi:10.1073/pnas.1111115109.ISSN0027-8424.PMC3277151.PMID22215583.
  25. ^ Janot, Christian (1997).Quasicrystals – a primer, 2nd ed.Oxford University Publishing.ISBN0-19-856551-8.
  26. ^ Van Noorden, Richard (October 5, 2011)."Impossible crystals snag chemistry Nobel".nature.doi:10.1038/news.2011.572.RetrievedOctober 5,2011.
  27. ^ Carpenter, Jennifer (October 5, 2011)."Nobel win for crystal discovery".BBC.RetrievedOctober 5,2011.
  28. ^"Nobel Prize winning professor announces run for president of Israel".January 17, 2014.
  29. ^Recipients are listed on Budapest University of Technology and Economics website:"John von Neumann Professors".Budapest University of Technology and Economics.Archived fromthe originalon September 12, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 12,2022.
  30. ^"Dan Shechtman Winner of the Fray Award".flogen.org.
  31. ^"Honorary Doctorate Recipients, Bar-Ilan University".Archived fromthe originalon May 24, 2017.RetrievedSeptember 3,2019.
  32. ^"Wolf Prize Recipients in Physics".Wolffund.org.il. Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2006.RetrievedOctober 5,2011.
  33. ^"Israel Prize Official Site – Recipients in 1998 (in Hebrew)".Archived fromthe originalon October 6, 2014.
  34. ^"פרס ויצמן למדעים מדויקים יוענק לפרופ' מיקי אלעד – Technion – Israel Institute of Technology".Technion – Israel Institute of Technology –(in Hebrew). July 26, 2021.RetrievedMay 5,2022.
  35. ^Ziv, Jacob(2010). "Engineering".Rothschild Prizes 2010: Fifty Years(PDF).Jerusalem. pp. 26, 32.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Further reading

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  • D. P. DiVincenzo and P. J. Steinhardt, eds. 1991.Quasicrystals: The State of the Art.Directions in Condensed Matter Physics, Vol 11.ISBN981-02-0522-8.
  • T. Janssen. 2007.Quasicrystals: Comparative dynamics.Nature Materials,Vol 6., 925–926.
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