physics

John Kitching (physicist)

John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist) rather than just read about it. In short: John Edward Kitching (born July 28, 1968) is a British–Canadian–American physicist and inventor, and a Fellow and Group Leader at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His research focuses on the development of compact "chip-scale" devices such as atomic clocks and magnetometers.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

John Edward Kitching (born July 28, 1968) is a British–Canadian–American physicist and inventor, and a Fellow and Group Leader at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His research focuses on the development of compact "chip-scale" devices such as atomic clocks and magnetometers.

Biography

Early life Kitching was born in Chester, UK, to a physicist father and educator mother. His family emigrated to Canada when he was very young and he went to elementary and middle school in Edmonton, Alberta. He moved to Vancouver, BC, when he was 15 years old and attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, winning the Governor General's Bronze Medal. He obtained his undergraduate degree in physics at McGill university in 1990, receiving the Governor General's Silver Medal for achieving the highest academic standing in the university's graduating class that year. He completed his PhD in Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology in 1995 under the supervision of Prof. Amnon Yariv.

Career and Research Kitching's research focuses on the development of compact devices and instruments that combine elements of precision atomic spectroscopy, silicon micromachining and photonics. In the early 2000s, he and his group pioneered the development of chip-scale atomic clocks and magnetometers based on a patent filed with the USPTO in 2001. These instruments achieve an unprecedented combination of stability/sensitivity and small size, low power consumption, and manufacturability. Kitching has also been heavily involved in the application of his compact instruments to problems in biomagnetism and nuclear magnetic resonance. He is currently leading in the development of compact, SI-traceable standards of length, time, voltage, current, and temperature under NIST's "NIST on a Chip" program. Several of Kitching's patented inventions have been successfully commercialized. His original chip-scale atomic clock was on display for about a decade in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Published works Svenja Knappe, Vishal Shah, Peter D. D. Schwindt, Leo Hollberg, John Kitching, Li-Anne Liew, John Moreland; A microfabricated atomic clock. Appl. Phys. Lett. 30 August 2004; 85 (9): 1460–1462. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1787942 Peter D. D. Schwindt, Svenja Knappe, Vishal Shah, Leo Hollberg, John Kitching, Li-Anne Liew, John Moreland; Chip-scale atomic magnetometer. Appl. Phys. Lett. 27 December 2004; 85 (26): 6409–6411. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1839274 Kitching, J., Donley, E., Knappe, S., Hummon, M., Dellis, A., Sherman, J., Srinivasan, K., Aksyuk, V., Li, Q., Westly, D., Roxworthy, B. and Lal, A. NIST on a Chip: Realizing SI units with microfabricated alkali vapour cells, Proceedings of the 8th international Conference on Frequency Standards and Metrology, Potsdam, -1, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=919803 (Accessed December 15, 2024)

Recognition 2024: Distinguished Presidential Rank Award 2024: Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA 2023: Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors 2021: Fellow of the IEEE 2021: Department of Commerce Gold Medal 2020: Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award 2018: Fellow of the American Physical Society 2017: Federal Laboratories Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer 2016: IEEE I. I. Rabi Award[17] 2015: IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award 2014: Department of Commerce Gold Medal 2014: Rank Prize in Optoelectronics 2013: NIST Fellow 2008: Arthur S. Flemming Award 2007: Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award, NIST 2005: Jack Raper Award for Outstanding Technology-Directions 2005: Department of Commerce Silver Medal 2005: European Young Scientist Award, presented by the European Frequency and Time Forum 1990: Governor General of Canada's Silver Medal 1986: Governor General of Canada's Bronze Medal

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with John Kitching (physicist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist)

In research: John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist) 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: John Kitching (physicist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1968 births, Fellows of the American Physical Society, Living people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist) in 20 minutes

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Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is John Kitching (physicist) in simple terms?

Why does John Kitching (physicist) 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 John Kitching (physicist)?

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 John Kitching (physicist).