William & Mary: Alexander Prokhorov
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Alexander Prokhorov
Alexander Mikhailovich Prokhorov was an Australian-born Soviet physicist and researcher whose work focused on quantum electronics. His most famous and well-known works were on optics and electromagnetic research. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964 with Charles Hard Townes and Nikolay Basov for his fundamental work that led to the development of the laser and the maser.
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science · Australian-born Soviet physicist (1916–2002) · physicist · university teacher · editor · also Alexander Prokhorov, Aleksandr Prokhorov, Alexander Mikhailovich Prokhorov, Prokhorov
Born 11 July 1916 · Died 8 January 2002 · Q83552
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2024· 1 entry
2003· 1 entry
Awarded Russian government prize for science and technology (2003).
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2002· 1 entry
Died 2002-01-08.
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2001· 1 entry
Awarded Demidov Prize (2001).
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2000· 3 entries
Awarded Russian Federation Presidential Certificate of Gratitude (2000).
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Won Frederic Ives Medal (2000).
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And became an Honorary OSA Member in 2001
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1998· 1 entry
Awarded State Prize of the Russian Federation (1998).
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1996· 1 entry
Awarded Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class (1996).
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1989· 1 entry
Awarded Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Prize (1989).
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1988· 1 entry
Awarded Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Prize (1988).
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1987· 2 entries
Won Helmholtz Medal (1987).
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Won Lomonosov Gold Medal (1987).
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1986· 3 entries
Awarded Hero of Socialist Labour (1986).
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Won "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal (1986).
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Awarded Order of Lenin (1986).
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1985· 1 entry
Awarded Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class (1985).
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1983· 2 entries
Was elected a Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
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Together with three other academicians – Andrey Tychonoff, Anatoly Dorodnitsyn and Georgy Skryabin – he signed the famous open letter called "when they lose honor and conscience" (Когда теряют честь и совесть), denouncin
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1981· 1 entry
Awarded Order of Lenin (1981).
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1980· 1 entry
Awarded USSR State Prize (1980).
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1979· 1 entry
Awarded Order of Cyril and Methodius presented by People's Republic of Bulgaria (1979).
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1975· 1 entry
Awarded Order of Lenin (1975).
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1969· 5 entries
Awarded Hero of Socialist Labour (1969).
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Won "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal (1969).
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Awarded Order of Lenin (1969).
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Prokhorov became a Hero of Socialist Labour, the highest degree of distinction in the Soviet Union for achievements in national economy and culture
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Was the chief editor of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
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1968· 1 entry
Became vice-director of the Lebedev Institute and in 1971 took the position of Head of Laboratory of another prestigious Soviet institution, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
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1967· 2 entries
Awarded Order of Lenin (1967).
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Was awarded his first Order of Lenin (he received five of them during life, in 1967, 1969, 1975, 1981 and 1986)
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1964· 3 entries
Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics (1964).
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With Charles Hard Townes and Nikolay Basov for his fundamental work that led to the development of the laser and the maser
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Received the Nobel Prize in Physics shared with Nikolay Basov and Charles Hard Townes
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1960· 1 entry
Became a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and elected Academician in 1966
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1959· 2 entries
Awarded Lenin Prize (1959).
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Prokhorov became a professor at Moscow State University – the most prestigious university in the Soviet Union; the same year, he was awarded the Lenin Prize
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1958· 1 entry
An "open type" cavity design, which is widely used today
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1957· 1 entry
While studying ruby, a chromium-doped variation of aluminium oxide, he came upon the idea of using this material as an active medium of a laser
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1955· 1 entry
Prokhorov started his research in the field of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)
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1954· 1 entry
Prokhorov became head of the laboratory
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1947· 1 entry
Prokhorov started working on coherent radiation emitted by electrons orbiting in a cyclic particle accelerator called a synchrotron
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1946· 1 entry
Defended his Candidate of Sciences thesis titled Theory of Stabilization of Frequency of a Tube Oscillator in the Theory of a Small Parameter
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1945· 1 entry
Won Medal "For Courage" (1945).
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1944· 1 entry
A year before the end of WWII and eventual victory of the Allies
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1939· 2 entries
Studied at Faculty of Physics, State University of Saint Petersbourg (1939).
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And moved to Moscow to work at the Lebedev Physical Institute, in the oscillations laboratory headed by academician N
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1934· 1 entry
Prokhorov entered the Saint Petersburg State University to study physics
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1923· 1 entry
After the culmination of the October Revolution and the Russian Civil War
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1916· 1 entry
Born 1916-07-11.
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