Leon Cooper

@Scientists, Career and Life

Leon N Cooper is an American physicist renowned for his contributions in developing the BCS theory

Feb 28, 1930

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Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: February 28, 1930
  • Nationality: American
  • Famous: Columbia University, Scientists, Physicists
  • Known as: Leon N Cooper
  • Universities:
    • Columbia University
    • Columbia University
  • Notable Alumnis:
    • Columbia University
  • Birth Place: Bronx, New York, United States

Leon Cooper born at

Bronx, New York, United States

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Birth Place

He is married and blessed with two children.

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Personal Life

Leon N Cooper was born on February 28, 1930, in New York, United States.

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Childhood & Early Life

He attended ‘Bronx High School of Science’ and completed his graduation in 1947.

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Childhood & Early Life

Following his graduation he joined ‘Columbia University’, from where he completed his formal education obtaining a B.A. degree in 1951, an M.A. degree in 1953 and thereafter a Ph. D in 1954.

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Childhood & Early Life

During 1954-55 he remained a member of the ‘Institute for Advanced Study’ and an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow.

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Career

He served as a research assistant at the ‘University of Illinois’ during 1955-57. There he contributed in theoretically elucidating superconductivity, which was first discovered by Dutch physicist and Nobel Laureate Heike Kamerlingh Onnes.

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Career

The BCS theory, the acronym of which was formed by combining the initial letters of surnames of its developers namely John Bardeen, Leon N. Cooper and Robert Schrieffer in that order. The most significant contribution of Cooper to the BCS theory was made in 1956, while he was still in his twenties, when he discovered that electrons, which usually behave repulsively with each other, could however be paired when temperature conditions are extremely low. This concept is known as Cooper pairs. As temperature increases well above absolute zero the Cooper pairs breaks.

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Career

After his stint in Illinois, he moved to Ohio and worked as an assistant professor at the ‘Ohio State University’ during 1957-58.

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Career

In 1958 he was inducted as a teacher at the ‘Brown University’. His career in the university advanced steadily. In 1962 he became a Professor of the university and later ‘Henry Ledyard Goddard University Professor’ in 1966. Thereafter since 1974 he is serving the university as Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Professor of Science.

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Career

The American sitcom, ‘The Big Bang Theory’, created by Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre, featured in ‘CBS’ includes a fictional character of a theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper, played by actor Jim Parsons. The character is named partly in his honor and partly in the honor of actor-producer Sheldon Leonard.

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Trivia