Encyclopedia/1. The Cosmos & The Natural World/2. Physics & Chemistry • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
Condensed matter physics explores the quantum mechanical properties of solids, from the discovery of superconductivity in 1911 to the isolation of graphene in 2004, encompassing key theories like BCS and high-temperature superconductors.
Chronological Storyline (45 Milestones)
600 BCE
Thales of Miletus Discovers Static Electricity
Thales observes that amber rubbed with fur attracts lightweight objects, an early study of electrical phenomena. #physics #history
Thales of Miletus Discovers Static Electricity By Wilhelm Meyer - own scan, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11037570
1660 CE
Otto von Guericke Invents Electrostatic Generator
Guericke builds the first electrostatic generator, producing static electricity for experiments. #physics #invention
Otto von Guericke Invents Electrostatic Generator By Anselm van Hulle / Cornelis Galle the Younger - Peace Palace Library, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32798824
1729 CE
Stephen Gray Discovers Electrical Conduction
Gray demonstrates that electricity can be conducted through metals, distinguishing conductors from insulators. #physics #electricity )
1821 CE
Thomas Johann Seebeck Discovers Thermoelectricity
Seebeck observes that a temperature difference between two dissimilar metals produces a voltage, the Seebeck effect. #physics #thermoelectric
Thomas Johann Seebeck Discovers Thermoelectricity By The original uploader was Jlorenz1@web.de at German Wikipedia. (Original text: Ölbild im Familienbesitz (1932)) - Originally from de.wikipedia; Hans Wahl, Anton Kippenberg: Goethe und seine Welt, Insel-Verlag, Leipzig 1932 S.204, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1630904
1833 CE
Michael Faraday Discovers Semiconductivity
Faraday observes that silver sulfide increases conductivity with temperature, an early study of semiconductors. #physics #semiconductor
Michael Faraday Discovers Semiconductivity By Unknown author - [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=141504840
1854 CE
Gustav Kirchhoff Formulates Circuit Laws
Kirchhoff develops laws for current and voltage in electrical circuits, fundamental to condensed matter. #physics #circuits
Gustav Kirchhoff Formulates Circuit Laws By Unknown author - Portrait of Gustav Kirchhoff, Smithsonian libraries (SIL-SIL14-k002-03) (image), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1774907
1879 CE
Edwin Hall Discovers the Hall Effect
Hall finds that a magnetic field perpendicular to current in a conductor produces a transverse voltage. #physics #halleffect
Edwin Hall Discovers the Hall Effect By Unknown author - page link direct link (down), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46247483
1900 CE
Paul Drude Proposes Free Electron Model
Drude applies kinetic theory to electrons in metals, explaining electrical and thermal conductivity. #physics #electrons
Paul Drude Proposes Free Electron Model By Rafaelgarcia - Electrona in crystallo fluentia.png. Uploader believes this faithful SVG reproduction constitutes a mere mechanical conversion between formats and as such cannot be considered a derivative work. Uploader accordingly believes uploader has no share in the copyright of this file., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11926841
Onnes observes zero electrical resistance in mercury below 4.2 K, marking the discovery of superconductivity. #physics #superconductivity
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Discovers Superconductivity By Unknown author - http://www.kb.nl/hkc/nobel/onnes/onnes.html . Further source: (cropped to 600×800), Museum Boerhaave, http://www.museumboerhaave.nl/contact/pers2a.html, Copyrighted free use, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=879737
1913 CE
Onnes Wins Nobel Prize for Liquid Helium
Kamerlingh Onnes receives the Nobel Prize for his work on liquefying helium and discovering superconductivity. #physics #nobel
1928 CE
Sommerfeld Refines Free Electron Model
Arnold Sommerfeld incorporates Fermi-Dirac statistics into the Drude model, creating the free electron model. #physics #quantum
1933 CE
Meissner and Ochsenfeld Discover Perfect Diamagnetism
Walther Meissner and Robert Ochsenfeld find that superconductors expel magnetic fields, the Meissner effect. #physics #superconductivity
Meissner and Ochsenfeld Discover Perfect Diamagnetism By Piotr Jaworski, PioM EN DE PL; POLAND/Poznań - Own work based on: EXPULSION.png:, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=325237
1935 CE
London Brothers Propose London Equations
Fritz and Heinz London develop equations describing the electrodynamics of superconductors. #physics #superconductivity
Dec 23, 1947 CE
Invention of the Transistor
John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley create the first point-contact transistor at Bell Labs. #physics #electronics
Invention of the Transistor By Ulfbastel - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3123331
1950 CE
Ginzburg-Landau Theory Proposed
Vitaly Ginzburg and Lev Landau develop a phenomenological theory of superconductivity. #physics #superconductivity
1956 CE
Cooper Pairs Concept Introduced
Leon Cooper shows that electrons can form bound pairs in a superconductor due to phonon-mediated attraction. #physics #superconductivity
1957 CE
BCS Theory Formulated
Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer publish the microscopic theory of superconductivity, explaining conventional superconductors. #physics #superconductivity
BCS Theory Formulated By Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=657868
1960 CE
Esaki Diode Demonstrates Quantum Tunneling
Leo Esaki invents the tunnel diode, showing quantum tunneling in semiconductors. #physics #semiconductor
Esaki Diode Demonstrates Quantum Tunneling By Caliston - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5494194
1962 CE
Josephson Effect Predicted
Brian Josephson predicts that supercurrent can tunnel through an insulating barrier between two superconductors. #physics #superconductivity
Josephson Effect Predicted By NBS - NIST paper A Practical Josephson Voltage Standard at One Volt, Figure 1, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=319467
1964 CE
Little-Parks Effect Discovered
William Little and Ronald Parks observe oscillations in the superconducting transition temperature due to magnetic flux. #physics #superconductivity
1970 CE
First High-Temperature Superconductor?
Discovery of superconductivity in LiTi2O4 with Tc ~13 K, one of the first oxide superconductors. #physics #superconductivity
First High-Temperature Superconductor? By Mateusz Odziomek et al. - https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15636, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76688347
1971 CE
Anderson Localization Proposed
Philip Anderson shows that disorder can lead to localization of electrons, a key concept in condensed matter. #physics #disorder
1980 CE
Integer Quantum Hall Effect Discovered
Klaus von Klitzing discovers the integer quantum Hall effect, leading to precise measurement of the fine-structure constant. #physics #quantumhall
1982 CE
Fractional Quantum Hall Effect Discovered
Daniel Tsui, Horst Störmer, and Robert Laughlin discover the fractional quantum Hall effect, revealing anyons. #physics #quantumhall
Apr 1, 1986 CE
High-Temperature Superconductivity in Cuprates
Georg Bednorz and Karl Müller discover superconductivity in a lanthanum barium copper oxide at 35 K. #physics #superconductivity
High-Temperature Superconductivity in Cuprates By James Slezak, Cornell Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=864046
1987 CE
Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Superconductor
Discovery of YBa2Cu3O7 with Tc above 90 K, the first superconductor above liquid nitrogen temperature. #physics #superconductivity
Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide Superconductor By Maxim Bilovitskiy - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45084460
1988 CE
Giant Magnetoresistance Discovered
Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg independently discover giant magnetoresistance in magnetic multilayers. #physics #magnetism
Giant Magnetoresistance Discovered By No machine-readable author provided. Guillom assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=568721
Carbon Nanotubes Discovered By Original hochgeladen von Schwarzm am 30. Aug 2004; Selbst gemacht mit C4D/Cartoonrenderer, GNU FDL - German Wikipedia, original upload 29. Dez 2004 by APPER, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=350208
1994 CE
Discovery of Superconductivity in Sr2RuO4
Superconductivity found in strontium ruthenate, a candidate for p-wave pairing. #physics #superconductivity
1998 CE
Superconductivity in MgB2 Discovered
Discovery of superconductivity in magnesium diboride at 39 K, a simple compound with high Tc. #physics #superconductivity
Superconductivity in MgB2 Discovered By Materialscientist - Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11168594
2001 CE
First Superconducting Qubit Demonstrated
Yasunobu Nakamura and colleagues demonstrate a superconducting charge qubit, a step toward quantum computing. #physics #quantumcomputing
First Superconducting Qubit Demonstrated By FMNLab - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90764556
Oct 1, 2004 CE
Graphene Isolated by Geim and Novoselov
Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov isolate graphene using scotch tape, revealing exceptional electronic properties. #physics #graphene
Graphene Isolated by Geim and Novoselov By AlexanderAlUS - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11294534
2006 CE
Topological Insulators Predicted
Liang Fu, Charles Kane, and Eugene Mele predict topological insulators in 2D, materials that conduct on edges. #physics #topology
Topological Insulators Predicted By A13ean - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11101461
2008 CE
Iron-Based Superconductors Discovered
Hideo Hosono's group discovers superconductivity in LaFeAsO1-xFx with Tc up to 26 K, sparking a new family. #physics #superconductivity
Iron-Based Superconductors Discovered By Materialscientist - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40347835
2010 CE
Nobel Prize for Graphene
Geim and Novoselov receive the Nobel Prize in Physics for groundbreaking experiments on graphene. #physics #nobel
2012 CE
Discovery of the Higgs Boson at CERN
The Higgs boson is discovered at the Large Hadron Collider, confirming the mechanism of mass generation. #physics #higgs
Discovery of the Higgs Boson at CERN By CERN for the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations - https://cds.cern.ch/record/1630222, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29737816
2013 CE
Majorana Fermions in Superconducting Wires
Signatures of Majorana fermions observed in semiconductor-superconductor nanowires, promising for quantum computing. #physics #majorana
Majorana Fermions in Superconducting Wires By Cush - Own work using: PBS NOVA [1], Fermilab, Office of Science, United States Department of Energy, Particle Data Group, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4286964
2015 CE
Discovery of Weyl Semimetals
Weyl semimetals, with massless electrons, are discovered in tantalum arsenide crystals. #physics #semimetal
2016 CE
Nobel Prize for Topological Phases
David Thouless, Duncan Haldane, and Michael Kosterlitz win Nobel for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions. #physics #topology
Nobel Prize for Topological Phases By Vectorized version by AG Caesar, original by DG85 - Inspired by a work from Wikipedia User DG85 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:QuantumPhaseTransition.png, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67110336
2017 CE
Superconductivity in Hydrogen Sulfide at High Pressure
Hydrogen sulfide compressed to 150 GPa shows superconductivity at 203 K, a record high Tc. #physics #superconductivity
Superconductivity in Hydrogen Sulfide at High Pressure By Benjah-bmm27 - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1542601
2018 CE
Magic-Angle Twisted Graphene Superconductivity
Pablo Jarillo-Herrero's group discovers superconductivity in bilayer graphene twisted at 1.1 degrees. #physics #graphene
2019 CE
Room-Temperature Superconductivity Claim in Hydrides
Superconductivity reported in lanthanum hydride at 250 K under high pressure, later confirmed. #physics #superconductivity
Oct 14, 2020 CE
Room-Temperature Superconductivity in Carbonaceous Sulfur Hydride
Ranga Dias reports superconductivity at 15°C in a carbonaceous sulfur hydride under extreme pressure. #physics #superconductivity
2021 CE
Nobel Prize for Climate Modeling and Complex Systems
Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi win Nobel for physical modeling of Earth's climate and complex systems. #physics #climate
Nobel Prize for Climate Modeling and Complex Systems By Photograph: JonathunderMedal: Erik Lindberg (1873-1966) - Derivative of File:NobelPrize.JPG, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58432969
Jul 1, 2023 CE
LK-99 Room-Temperature Superconductor Claim
A Korean team claims room-temperature superconductivity in LK-99, but later retracted due to lack of reproducibility. #physics #superconductivity
LK-99 Room-Temperature Superconductor Claim By Hyun-Tak Kim - https://sciencecast.org/casts/suc384jly50n, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135452379
