Marc A. Kastner
Encyclopedia
Marc A. Kastner is an American
physicist
and Donner Professor of Science and Dean of the School of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
, Canada
on November 20, 1945. He completed his B.S. in Physics in 1967, M.S. in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Chicago
.
in 1973. He became Donner Professor of Science at MIT in 1989. He was appointed Department Head in February 1998. He became Dean of the School of Science at MIT in July 2007.
In 1990, his group at MIT discovered the single electron transistor. It is a device in which electrostatic fields confine electrons to a small region of space inside a semiconductor. Single electron transistors turn on and off again every time one electron is added. In an interview, he said that the discovery that a transistor could turn on and off again every time an electron was added to it was one of the most astounding and exciting experiences of his life.
His recent research focused on the electronic properties of nanometer-size semiconductor structures and on the physics of high temperature (Tc ) superconductivity.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and Donner Professor of Science and Dean of the School of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
Early years
Kastner was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on November 20, 1945. He completed his B.S. in Physics in 1967, M.S. in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Academic career
Kastner was a Harvard Research Fellow from 1972 to 1973. He joined the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1973. He became Donner Professor of Science at MIT in 1989. He was appointed Department Head in February 1998. He became Dean of the School of Science at MIT in July 2007.
Research
Kastner was a researcher on amorphous semiconductors. His early research focused on the relationship between chemical bonding and the electronic structure of defects in glasses.In 1990, his group at MIT discovered the single electron transistor. It is a device in which electrostatic fields confine electrons to a small region of space inside a semiconductor. Single electron transistors turn on and off again every time one electron is added. In an interview, he said that the discovery that a transistor could turn on and off again every time an electron was added to it was one of the most astounding and exciting experiences of his life.
His recent research focused on the electronic properties of nanometer-size semiconductor structures and on the physics of high temperature (Tc ) superconductivity.