physics

Heinz Raether

Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether rather than just read about it. In short: Heinz Artur Raether (14 October 1909 — 31 December 1986) was a German physicist. He is best known for his theoretical and experimental contributions to the study of surface plasmons, as well as for Kretschmann-Raether configuration, a commonly used experimental setup for the excitation of surface plasmon resonances.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Heinz Artur Raether (14 October 1909 — 31 December 1986) was a German physicist. He is best known for his theoretical and experimental contributions to the study of surface plasmons, as well as for Kretschmann-Raether configuration, a commonly used experimental setup for the excitation of surface plasmon resonances. From 1944 to 1946 he was a professor of physics at the University of Jena at the Physikalisches Institut. Here he dealt with electron physics, electron microscopy, electron interference and gas discharges. In 1951, he took over the management of the Institute for Applied Physics at the University of Hamburg. After the development of the transistor, he focused on solid state physics. His work during this period concerned the structure and growth of crystals. Later he became interested in the collective behavior of the electrons of a crystal, the solid-state electron plasma. In gas discharge physics, he devoted himself to the ignition process, especially the formation of the spark channel, the initial phase of electrical breakdown. In 1963 he was elected a full member of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences. In 1979 he was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Selected publications Articles Raether, H. (January 1933). "Elektroneninterferenzen an mechanisch bearbeiteten Oberflächen". Zeitschrift für Physik (in German). 86 (1–2): 82–104. Bibcode:1933ZPhy...86...82R. doi:10.1007/BF01340186. S2CID 121834666. Raether, H. (1938). "Über eine gasionisierende Strahlung einer Funkenentladung". Zeitschrift für Physik (in German). 111 (9–10): 611–624. Bibcode:1938ZPhy..110..611R. doi:10.1007/BF01340219. S2CID 122957187. Raether, H. (1939). "Die entwicklung der elektronenlawine in den funkenkanal". Zeitschrift für Physik (in German). 112 (7–8): 464–489. Bibcode:1939ZPhy..112..464R. doi:10.1007/BF01340229. S2CID 124856050. Horstmann, M.; Meyer, G.; Raether, H. (January 1959). "Messung der Intensitäten von elastisch und unelastisch gestreuten Elektronen mit einer Gegenfeldanordnung". Zeitschrift für Physik (in German). 154 (5): 633–638. Bibcode:1959ZPhy..154..633H. doi:10.1007/BF01337572. S2CID 116933196. Raether, H. (July–August 1967). "Surface plasma oscillations as a tool for surface examinations". Surface Science. 8 (1–2): 233–246. Bibcode:1967SurSc...8..233R. doi:10.1016/0039-6028(67)90085-4. Kretschmann, E.; Raether, H. (1968). "Radiative Decay of Non Radiative Surface Plasmons Excited by Light" (PDF). Zeitschrift für Naturforschung. 23: 2135–2136. doi:10.1515/zna-1968-1247. S2CID 97127159. Bruns, R.; Raether, H. (February 1970). "Plasma resonance radiation from non radiative plasmons". Zeitschrift für Physik. 237 (1): 98–106. Bibcode:1970ZPhy..237...98B. doi:10.1007/BF01400480. S2CID 120807595. Raether, H. (1977). "Surface plasma oscillations and their applications". Physics of Thin Films. 9: 145–261. Raether, H. (15 July 1982). "Dispersion relation of surface plasmons on gold- and silver gratings". Optics Communications. 42 (4): 217–222. Bibcode:1982OptCo..42..217R. doi:10.1016/0030-4018(82)90019-0. Books Raether, Heinz (1964). Electron Avalanches and Breakdown in Gases. London: Butterworths. Raether, Heinz (1980). Excitation of Plasmons and Interband Transitions by Electrons. New York: Springer. ISBN 9783662157961. Raether, Heinz (1988). Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings. New York: Springer. ISBN 3540173633.

See also Raether limit Surface plasmon polariton Townsend discharge

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Heinz Raether

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether

In research: Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether 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: Heinz Raether is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1909 births, 1986 deaths, 20th-century German physicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Heinz Raether in simple terms?

Why does Heinz Raether 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 Heinz Raether?

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 Heinz Raether.