physics

Rodney Loudon

Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon rather than just read about it. In short: Rodney Loudon (25 July 1934 – 25 December 2022) was a British physicist, best known for his work in quantum optics. He was Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Essex.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Rodney Loudon (25 July 1934 – 25 December 2022) was a British physicist, best known for his work in quantum optics. He was Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Essex. Loudon died on 25 December 2022, at the age of 88.

Education Loudon attended the Bury Grammar School in Manchester. He received his Master of Arts (1956) and Doctor of Philosophy (1959) degrees from the University of Oxford, where he was a member of the Brasenose College.After Oxford he undertook postdoctoral research at University of California, Berkeley

Research work Loudon's research focused on various aspects of theoretical solid state and laser physics, and particularly on light scattering. His 1964 paper on the Raman effect was one of the 100 most cited papers in all areas of physical science between 1960 and 1969. He has published more than 190 papers and 3 books, one of which (the three editions of The Quantum Theory of Light) is recognized internationally and has been translated into Russian and Japanese. His early work on excitons, phonons and magnons and his later treatments of non-classical effects in the statistical properties of light have attracted many citations. His later work on surface excitations and on optical amplification, attenuation and detection has also proved to be important. Loudon worked at the University of Essex as Professor, Chairman and Dean. He has also worked at British Telecom, Royal Radar Establishment, Bell Telephone Laboratories and Radio Corporation of America, and he has been a consultant to these organisations over several years, contributing to both applied and fundamental research. In addition to his physics research Loudon was a member of Institute of Physics Council and Opto-Electronics Group of Rank Prizes Committee.

Books The Quantum Theory of Light (1973); 2nd edition (1983); 3rd edition (2000) ISBN 0-19-850177-3 with William Hayes: Scattering of Light by Crystals (1978) with David J. Barber: An Introduction to the Properties of Condensed Matter (1989) ISBN 978-0521269070

Awards and honours Loudon was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1987. Young Medal and Prize 1987 Max Born Award 1992. Humboldt Prize 1998.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Rodney Loudon

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon

In research: Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon 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: Rodney Loudon is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1934 births, 2022 deaths, Academics of the University of Essex, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Rodney Loudon in simple terms?

Rodney Loudon (25 July 1934 – 25 December 2022) was a British physicist, best known for his work in quantum optics. He was Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Essex.

Why does Rodney Loudon 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 Rodney Loudon?

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 Rodney Loudon.