Winners of the Nobel prize in physics

The Nobel prize in physics in 2016

Today Stoccolma, Sweden, was announced the Nobel prize in physics. The award for contribution to the development of this science has received at once three British scientists: David Thouless (David Thouless), Duncan Haldane (Duncan Haldane) and Michael Kosterlitz (Michael Kosterlitz) for "the theoretical discovery of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter."

The results of their work have allowed the scientific community to better explain such phenomena as superconductivity, superfluidity and magnetism of two-dimensional materials (under means of two-dimensional materials consisting of atomic layers). Relevant information is available on the official website of the Nobel prize.

Topology — branch of mathematics that studies the phenomenon of continuity, in particular the properties of spaces that remain unchanged under continuous deformations. For example, connectivity and orientiruet.

His award scientists were more than forty years. Back in the 70's Michael Kosterlitz, David Thouless and Vadim Berezinsky experimentalno refuted then the theory that two-dimensional materials may have superconductivity. They proved the possibility of superconductivity at extremely low temperatures and the associated phenomenon of phase transition, which disappears with increasing temperature. Discovered the phenomenon was named in honor of researchers transition Berezinsky — Kosterlitz — Thouless taules (BKT-transition), or simply a topological phase transition.

We should also mention the Soviet theoretical physicist Vadim Berezinsky (15.06.1935 – 23.06.1980), took part in the work. A native of Kiev, in 1959, graduated from physical faculty of Moscow state University in 1963 — graduate of MEPhI, doctor of physical and mathematical Sciences. His most important works are considered the works on the theory of phase transitions in two-dimensional systems and the theory of localization in disordered one-dimensional conductors. These letters are available on the website of the Institute for theoretical physics. L. D. Landau, where Vadim Lvovich spent the last years of his life (1977 and 1980).

In the 80s Thouless confirmed an earlier experiment with a thin conducting layers. Then he noticed that the conductance has a topological nature. About the same time Duncan Haldane proved that topological concepts can be used to explain the properties of chains of small magnets found in some materials.

In the last decades, research in this area is seriously advanced. The study of topological phase transitions gives physicists hope that the invention of a superconductor and a quantum computer.

Between physics will share not only fame, but also a cash award from the Nobel Committee, which this year amounted to 8 million Swedish kronor (about 931 thousands of U.S. dollars).

Source: geektimes.ru/post/281174/