PHYSICIST
Arthur Leonard Schawlow
1921 - 1999

Arthur Leonard Schawlow
Arthur Leonard Schawlow (May 5, 1921 – April 28, 1999) was an American physicist who, along with Charles Townes, developed the theoretical basis for laser science. His central insight was the use of two mirrors as the resonant cavity to take maser action from microwaves to visible wavelengths. He shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics with Nicolaas Bloembergen and Kai Siegbahn for his work using lasers to determine atomic energy levels with great precision. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Arthur Leonard Schawlow is the 180th most popular physicist (up from 206th in 2019), the 660th most popular biography from United States (up from 781st in 2019) and the 29th most popular American Physicist.
Arthur Leonard Schawlow is most famous for his work in laser physics. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1981 with Nicolaas Bloembergen for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Arthur Leonard Schawlow ranks 180 out of 851. Before him are Leon Cooper, James Jeans, Julius von Mayer, Herbert Kroemer, Martin Lewis Perl, and Richard E. Taylor. After him are Burton Richter, Isamu Akasaki, Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, Jerome Isaac Friedman, and Hans Geiger.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsLeon Cooper
1930 - 2024
HPI: 72.81
Rank: 174
James Jeans
1877 - 1946
HPI: 72.73
Rank: 175
Julius von Mayer
1814 - 1878
HPI: 72.68
Rank: 176
Herbert Kroemer
1928 - 2024
HPI: 72.63
Rank: 177
Martin Lewis Perl
1927 - 2014
HPI: 72.56
Rank: 178
Richard E. Taylor
1929 - 2018
HPI: 72.46
Rank: 179
Arthur Leonard Schawlow
1921 - 1999
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 180
Burton Richter
1931 - 2018
HPI: 72.39
Rank: 181
Isamu Akasaki
1929 - 2021
HPI: 72.34
Rank: 182
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga
1906 - 1979
HPI: 72.31
Rank: 183
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
1742 - 1799
HPI: 72.28
Rank: 184
Jerome Isaac Friedman
1930 - Present
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 185
Hans Geiger
1882 - 1945
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 186
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1921, Arthur Leonard Schawlow ranks 30. Before him are Gunnar Nordahl, Sophie Scholl, Aaron T. Beck, Joseph Beuys, Ágnes Keleti, and Paulo Freire. After him are Fawzia Fuad of Egypt, Vasily Smyslov, Gianni Agnelli, Yoichiro Nambu, Patricia Highsmith, and Ralph Asher Alpher. Among people deceased in 1999, Arthur Leonard Schawlow ranks 16. Before him are Gertrude B. Elion, Mario Puzo, Joaquín Rodrigo, Amália Rodrigues, Yehudi Menuhin, and Raisa Gorbacheva. After him are Wassily Leontief, Anatoliy Solovianenko, Robert Bresson, Willi Stoph, Glenn T. Seaborg, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Others Born in 1921
Go to all RankingsGunnar Nordahl
SOCCER PLAYER
1921 - 1995
HPI: 74.23
Rank: 24
Sophie Scholl
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1921 - 1943
HPI: 73.94
Rank: 25
Aaron T. Beck
PSYCHOLOGIST
1921 - 2021
HPI: 73.89
Rank: 26
Joseph Beuys
ARTIST
1921 - 1986
HPI: 73.86
Rank: 27
Ágnes Keleti
GYMNAST
1921 - 2025
HPI: 73.73
Rank: 28
Paulo Freire
PHILOSOPHER
1921 - 1997
HPI: 73.10
Rank: 29
Arthur Leonard Schawlow
PHYSICIST
1921 - 1999
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 30
Fawzia Fuad of Egypt
COMPANION
1921 - 2013
HPI: 72.31
Rank: 31
Vasily Smyslov
CHESS PLAYER
1921 - 2010
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 32
Gianni Agnelli
POLITICIAN
1921 - 2003
HPI: 71.64
Rank: 33
Yoichiro Nambu
PHYSICIST
1921 - 2015
HPI: 71.40
Rank: 34
Patricia Highsmith
WRITER
1921 - 1995
HPI: 71.31
Rank: 35
Ralph Asher Alpher
PHYSICIST
1921 - 2007
HPI: 71.11
Rank: 36
Others Deceased in 1999
Go to all RankingsGertrude B. Elion
CHEMIST
1918 - 1999
HPI: 75.10
Rank: 10
Mario Puzo
WRITER
1920 - 1999
HPI: 75.09
Rank: 11
Joaquín Rodrigo
COMPOSER
1901 - 1999
HPI: 74.98
Rank: 12
Amália Rodrigues
SINGER
1920 - 1999
HPI: 73.65
Rank: 13
Yehudi Menuhin
MUSICIAN
1916 - 1999
HPI: 73.04
Rank: 14
Raisa Gorbacheva
POLITICIAN
1932 - 1999
HPI: 72.91
Rank: 15
Arthur Leonard Schawlow
PHYSICIST
1921 - 1999
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 16
Wassily Leontief
ECONOMIST
1906 - 1999
HPI: 72.12
Rank: 17
Anatoliy Solovianenko
SINGER
1932 - 1999
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 18
Robert Bresson
FILM DIRECTOR
1901 - 1999
HPI: 71.80
Rank: 19
Willi Stoph
POLITICIAN
1914 - 1999
HPI: 71.80
Rank: 20
Glenn T. Seaborg
CHEMIST
1912 - 1999
HPI: 71.74
Rank: 21
Wilt Chamberlain
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1936 - 1999
HPI: 71.64
Rank: 22
In United States
Among people born in United States, Arthur Leonard Schawlow ranks 660 out of 20,380. Before him are William Lipscomb (1919), Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (1959), William S. Burroughs (1914), Paul Berg (1926), Christian B. Anfinsen (1916), and Dave Grohl (1969). After him are Chuck Jones (1912), Clyde Tombaugh (1906), Bill Hewlett (1913), George Herbert Mead (1863), Samuel Pierpont Langley (1834), and Tennessee Williams (1911).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsWilliam Lipscomb
CHEMIST
1919 - 2011
HPI: 72.47
Rank: 654
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
MUSICIAN
1959 - 1997
HPI: 72.47
Rank: 655
William S. Burroughs
WRITER
1914 - 1997
HPI: 72.47
Rank: 656
Paul Berg
CHEMIST
1926 - 2023
HPI: 72.46
Rank: 657
Christian B. Anfinsen
CHEMIST
1916 - 1995
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 658
Dave Grohl
MUSICIAN
1969 - Present
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 659
Arthur Leonard Schawlow
PHYSICIST
1921 - 1999
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 660
Chuck Jones
FILM DIRECTOR
1912 - 2002
HPI: 72.44
Rank: 661
Clyde Tombaugh
ASTRONOMER
1906 - 1997
HPI: 72.42
Rank: 662
Bill Hewlett
BUSINESSPERSON
1913 - 2001
HPI: 72.42
Rank: 663
George Herbert Mead
PHILOSOPHER
1863 - 1931
HPI: 72.41
Rank: 664
Samuel Pierpont Langley
INVENTOR
1834 - 1906
HPI: 72.40
Rank: 665
Tennessee Williams
WRITER
1911 - 1983
HPI: 72.40
Rank: 666
Among PHYSICISTS In United States
Among physicists born in United States, Arthur Leonard Schawlow ranks 29. Before him are Clifford Shull (1915), John Bardeen (1908), Joseph Henry (1797), George E. Smith (1930), Leon Cooper (1930), and Martin Lewis Perl (1927). After him are Burton Richter (1931), Jerome Isaac Friedman (1930), Douglas Osheroff (1945), George Smoot (1945), Val Logsdon Fitch (1923), and Hugh David Politzer (1949).
Clifford Shull
1915 - 2001
HPI: 73.99
Rank: 23
John Bardeen
1908 - 1991
HPI: 73.99
Rank: 24
Joseph Henry
1797 - 1878
HPI: 73.46
Rank: 25
George E. Smith
1930 - 2025
HPI: 72.94
Rank: 26
Leon Cooper
1930 - 2024
HPI: 72.81
Rank: 27
Martin Lewis Perl
1927 - 2014
HPI: 72.56
Rank: 28
Arthur Leonard Schawlow
1921 - 1999
HPI: 72.45
Rank: 29
Burton Richter
1931 - 2018
HPI: 72.39
Rank: 30
Jerome Isaac Friedman
1930 - Present
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 31
Douglas Osheroff
1945 - Present
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 32
George Smoot
1945 - Present
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 33
Val Logsdon Fitch
1923 - 2015
HPI: 72.01
Rank: 34
Hugh David Politzer
1949 - Present
HPI: 71.88
Rank: 35