In recognition of his impact on quantum physics, notably, in developing methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light and in advancing our understanding of light-matter interaction; of his visionary work as a role model for many young scientists and as an educator who profoundly influenced the way physics is taught the world over; and of his relentless support of Israel and of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Prof. Claude Cohen-Tannoudji is best known for developing the theoretical framework that explains the laser-cooling of atoms, enabling their study with great detail and paving the way toward ever-smaller electronic components, improved space navigation, and more precise measurement of gravitational forces. His quantum physics research was recognized by the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded to him jointly with Steven Chu and William Daniel Phillips.
He was born in 1933 in Constantine, Algeria, to a family that had fled the Spanish Inquisition. In 1953, Cohen-Tannoudji moved to France to study mathematics at École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris, but soon changed to physics, inspired by his teacher and future Nobel Physics Laureate, Prof. Alfred Kastler. Following a 28-month military service hiatus, Cohen-Tannoudji was awarded a PhD in atomic physics by the University of Paris in 1962, where he taught while continuing his research with Kastler’s group at the ENS.
In the early 1980s, as professor of Atomic and Molecular Physics at the Collège de France, Cohen- Tannoudji became involved in several new fields of physics, one of which was the interaction between light and matter. Using helium atoms, he was able to reach temperatures in the nano-kelvin range, an ultra-cold temperature that not only enables the study of the atom’s unique quantum properties, but was also used to develop highly accurate atomic clocks for positioning and navigation, and has initiated the new research field of atomic gases. He remains affiliated with the Laboratoire de Physique at the ENS, where he is an active researcher.
Cohen-Tannoudji is the recipient of numerous important prizes around the world. He has shared his insights and discoveries in several coauthored books and more than 200 theoretical and experimental papers on quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, quantum optics, laser cooling, and atomic physics.
He is a compelling advocate of academic freedom and free exchange of opinions and has a deep connection to Israeli science. The latter has brought him to the Weizmann Institute campus on many occasions, both during quiet times and, remarkably, in periods of widespread cancellation of visits to Israel. He is also a proponent of scientific exchange between France and Israel (and in particular, the Weizmann Institute), and, from its inception, has been a key supporter of a series of French-Israeli series of conferences on nonlinear and quantum optics.