Item

Abstract

We recount the life, work, and legacy of the theoretical physicist Roy Glauber (1925–2018). Admitted to Harvard at age 16, called upon to participate in the Manhattan Project at age eighteen, and appointed to the Harvard Physics faculty at age 29, Glauber is credited with seminal contributions to three separate fields of physics: nuclear scattering, statistical physics, and foundational work in quantum optics, which earned him the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics. Over decades, Glauber was also a dedicated teacher of high-school, college, and graduate students. His pedagogical gifts are reflected in his lucid papers that read as if they were written yesterday.

Key points

perspective on the life, work, and legacy of the 2005 Physics Nobel laureate Roy Glauber (1925–2018)
impact of Glauber's contributions on large swaths of physics, from nuclear to optical to condensed matter
Glauber's work in quantum optics has nurtured burgeoning areas of quantum science and engineering