physics

H. Jeff Kimble

H. Jeff Kimble is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand H. Jeff Kimble rather than just read about it. In short: Harry Jeffrey Kimble (April 23, 1949 – September 2, 2024) was an American physicist who was the William L. Valentine Professor and professor of physics at Caltech.

Key takeaways

H. Jeff Kimble belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect H. Jeff Kimble to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of H. Jeff Kimble from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Harry Jeffrey Kimble (April 23, 1949 – September 2, 2024) was an American physicist who was the William L. Valentine Professor and professor of physics at Caltech. His research was in quantum optics and is noted for groundbreaking experiments in physics including one of the first demonstrations of teleportation of a quantum state (first demonstration is disputed with Anton Zeilinger), quantum logic gate, and the development of the first single atom laser. According to Elizabeth Rogan, OSA CEO, "Jeff has led a revolution in modern physics through his pioneering research in the coherent control of the interactions of light and matter." Kimble's main research focus was in quantum information science and the quantum dynamics of open systems.

Life and career Kimble graduated summa cum laude from Abilene Christian University in 1971 and earned his master's and doctoral degrees from University of Rochester, culminating in 1979. He was advised by Leonard Mandel. As a graduate student under Mandel, Kimble observed the first photon anti-bunching. He spent two years as a scientist for the General Motors Research Laboratory until 1979 when he joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin. He moved to the California Institute of Technology in 1989. Kimble was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and the Optical Society of America. He was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2002. Kimble died in Austin, Texas on September 2, 2024, at the age of 75.

Honors and awards Einstein Prize for Laser Science of the Society for Optical and Quantum Electronics (awarded at Lasers '89) The Albert A. Michelson Medal of the Franklin Institute (1990) The Max Born Award of the Optical Society of America (1996) The International Award on Quantum Communication (1998) The Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical Society (2004) The inaugural Berthold Leibinger Zukunftspreis of the German Berthold Leibinger Stiftung (2006) Doctor Scientiarum Honoris Causa, University of Copenhagen (2007) The Herbert Walther Award (2013) Leonard Mandel Quantum Optics Award (2024)

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with H. Jeff Kimble

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what H. Jeff Kimble claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to H. Jeff Kimble before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about H. Jeff Kimble ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of H. Jeff Kimble

In research: H. Jeff Kimble appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses H. Jeff Kimble in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: H. Jeff Kimble is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1949 births, 2024 deaths, 21st-century American physicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for H. Jeff Kimble outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study H. Jeff Kimble in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what H. Jeff Kimble means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain H. Jeff Kimble out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is H. Jeff Kimble in simple terms?

Harry Jeffrey Kimble (April 23, 1949 – September 2, 2024) was an American physicist who was the William L. Valentine Professor and professor of physics at Caltech.

Why does H. Jeff Kimble matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study H. Jeff Kimble?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on H. Jeff Kimble.