29 March: Tribute to Alexei Abrikosov

OV Digital Desk
3 Min Read
Alexei Abrikosov

Alexei Abrikosov (25 June 1928 – 29 March 2017) was a Soviet and Russian physicist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003.

Early Life and Education

He was born on 25 June 1928, in Moscow, Russia. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics from Moscow State University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1948 and his graduate degree in 1951.

In addition to his formal education, he received significant training and mentorship through his work at the Institute for Physical Problems of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Moscow and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics. At these institutions, he had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the leading physicists of his time, including Lev Landau, who was his mentor and collaborator for many years.

His education and training in physics prepared him to make significant contributions to the field of condensed matter physics, particularly in the areas of superconductivity and magnetism.

Career

After graduation, he worked at the Institute for Physical Problems of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Moscow. In 1952, he joined the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, where he worked for the next 40 years.

In the 1950s, he made significant contributions to the theory of superconductivity. In 1957, he proposed a theory to explain the behavior of type-II superconductors in magnetic fields, which is now known as the Abrikosov vortex lattice. This theory helped to explain many experimental observations and led to further research in the field of superconductivity.

He continued to work in the field of condensed matter physics throughout his life. From 1991 until his retirement, he worked at Argonne National Laboratory in the U.S. state of Illinois.

He died on 29 March 2017, in California, United States.

Award and Legacy

Abrikosov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003, along with Vitaly Ginzburg and Anthony Leggett, for their contributions to the theory of superconductivity and superfluidity.

He also received many other awards and honors throughout his career, including the Lenin Prize in 1966 and the Wolf Prize in Physics in 1989.

His legacy also includes his contributions to the understanding of magnetism, especially in relation to strongly correlated electron systems. He was a highly productive researcher throughout his career, publishing over 400 scientific papers and supervising numerous doctoral students.

Today, his work continues to be highly influential in the field of condensed matter physics, and his legacy is celebrated by the scientific community.

Share This Article