Alfred Kastler

Alfred Kastler (1902–1984) was a French physicist whose optical pumping methods made it possible to study atomic resonance. He received the 1966 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Optical pumping: A method that uses light to redistribute atoms among quantum states, producing a measurable population imbalance. Kastler developed this method to prepare atoms for precise resonance measurements.
École normale supérieure: A French grande école in Paris that trains researchers, teachers, and public officials. Kastler studied physics there before beginning his academic career.
Jean Brossel: A French physicist who collaborated with Alfred Kastler on optical pumping and atomic spectroscopy. Their long partnership produced key experiments on optically prepared atoms.
Cesium atomic clock: An atomic clock that measures time using the microwave transition frequency of cesium-133. Optical preparation techniques helped make atomic-state measurements useful for timekeeping.
Atomic resonance: The response of an atom to electromagnetic radiation at frequencies matching transitions between its energy levels. Kastler’s optical methods enabled the study of atomic resonance with greater precision.
University of Strasbourg: A public research university in Strasbourg, France, with roots in the early modern period. Kastler taught and conducted research there before returning to Paris.
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji: A French physicist whose research on laser cooling and atomic physics earned the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics. He trained in Kastler’s research group and extended its work on light and atoms.
Atomic magnetometer: A magnetic-field sensor that measures how atomic spin states respond to a field. Optically prepared atomic populations can make magnetic resonance a sensitive measurement signal.
Zeeman effect: The splitting of atomic energy levels and spectral lines in a magnetic field. Magnetic splitting provides atomic transitions that optical resonance experiments can examine.
Sorbonne University: A public research university in Paris formed in its present structure in 2018. Kastler held a professorship at the Sorbonne and led research there.

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