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Yakir Aharonov | |
|---|---|
יקיר אהרונוב | |
 | |
| Born | (1932-08-28)28 August 1932 (age 93) |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Education | Technion (BSc) Bristol University (PhD) |
| Known for | Aharonov–Bohm effect Aharonov–Casher effect Weak values Two-state vector formalism Quantum Cheshire cat |
| Relatives | Dorit Aharonov |
| Awards | Weizmann Prize (1984) Elliott Cresson Medal (1991) Wolf Prize (1998) National Medal of Science (2009) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Quantum physics |
| Institutions | Perimeter Institute Chapman University Tel Aviv University University of South Carolina George Mason University Brandeis University Yeshiva University |
| Doctoral advisor | David Bohm |
| Doctoral students | David Albert Avshalom Elitzur Lev Vaidman Sandu Popescu |
Yakir AharonovForMemRS (Hebrew:יקיר אהרונוב; born August 28, 1932)[1] is anIsraeliphysicist specializing inquantum physics. He has been a Professor of Theoretical Physics and the James J. Farley Professor of Natural Philosophy atChapman University in California since 2008.[2] He was a distinguished professor in thePerimeter Institute between 2009-2012[3][4] and is a professor emeritus atTel Aviv University and atUniversity of South Carolina. He is president of the IYAR, The Israeli Institute for Advanced Research.[5]
In June 2024 he was elected to serve in theRoyal Society of London.6
Yakir Aharonov was born inHaifa. He received his undergraduate education at theTechnion – Israel Institute of Technology inHaifa, graduating with aBSc in 1956. He continued his graduate studies at the Technion and then moved toBristol University, UK together with his doctoral advisorDavid Bohm, receiving aPh.D. degree in 1960. Aharonov later taught at theBrandeis University from 1960 to 1961 and theYeshiva University from 1964 to 1967, both in theUnited States.[2]
Married to Nily, an educational psychologist, and father of two. His brother,Dov Aharonov, is a professor emeritus at the Faculty of Mathematics at theTechnion, and his niece,Dorit Aharonov, is a professor at the School of Engineering and Computer Science at theHebrew University of Jerusalem.
His research interests are nonlocal and topological effects inquantum mechanics,quantum field theories and interpretations ofquantum mechanics. In 1959, he andDavid Bohm proposed theAharonov–Bohm effect[6] for which he co-received the 1998Wolf Prize.[7]
In 1988, Aharonov,David Albert, andLev Vaidman published their theory ofweak values.[8] This work was motivated by Aharonov's long-time quest to experimentally verify his theory that apparently random events in quantum mechanics are caused by events in the future (two-state vector formalism). Verifying a present effect of a future cause requires a measurement, which would ordinarily destroy coherence and ruin the experiment. He and his colleagues claim that they were able to useweak measurements and verify the present effect of the future cause.[9] Working with Aharon Casher, they predicted theAharonov–Casher effect, the electrodynamic dual of the Aharonov–Bohm effect with magnetic dipoles and charges.[2]
