Otto Scherzer
Encyclopedia
Otto Scherzer was a German
theoretical physicist
who made contributions to electron microscopy.
and the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) from 1927 to 1931. At LMU his thesis advisor was Arnold Sommerfeld
, and he was granted his doctorate in 1931. His thesis was on the quantum theory of Bremsstrahlung
. From 1932 to 1933, Scherzer was an assistant to Carl Ramsauer
at the Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft, an electric combine with headquarters in Berlin
and Frankfurt-on-Main. There, he did research on electron optics. He completed his Habilitation
in 1934, and he then became a Privatdozent
at LMU and an assistant to Sommerfeld.
In 1936, he became an extraordinarius professor and director of the theoretical physics department. In a landmark 1936 paper, Scherzer proved that the spherical and chromatic aberrations of a rotationally symmetric, static, space-charge-free, dioptric lens for electron beams cannot be eliminated by skillful design, in contrast to the case for glass lenses. In 1947, Scherzer published a sequel to this paper proposing various corrected lenses, dependent upon abandoning one or other requirements as set forth in the 1936 paper. Scherzer’s derivations contributed to the development of electron microscopy.
From 1939 to 1945, Scherzer worked on radar at the communications research headquarters of the German Navy (Nachrichtenmittel-Versuchskommando der Kriegsmarine). In a communication with Sommerfeld, dated 2 December 1944, Scherzer reported war damage in Darmstadt and commented on his work on radar
. From 1944 to 1945, Scherzer was head of radar finding research (Arbeitsbereich Funkmesstechnik) for the Reich Research Council (Reichsforschungsrat
), which was the coordinating agency in the Reich Education Ministry (Reichsziehungsministerium) for the centralized planning of basic and applied research.
In 1954, Scherzer became ordinarius professor a the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, where he helped found the Society for Heavy Ion Research. A literature citation places Scherzer at Darmstadt as late as 1978. Scherzer died in Darmstadt
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
theoretical physicist
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
who made contributions to electron microscopy.
Education
Scherzer studied physics at the Munich Technical UniversityTechnical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
and the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) from 1927 to 1931. At LMU his thesis advisor was Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and groomed a large number of students for the new era of theoretical physics...
, and he was granted his doctorate in 1931. His thesis was on the quantum theory of Bremsstrahlung
Bremsstrahlung
Bremsstrahlung is electromagnetic radiation produced by the deceleration of a charged particle when deflected by another charged particle, typically an electron by an atomic nucleus. The moving particle loses kinetic energy, which is converted into a photon because energy is conserved. The term is...
. From 1932 to 1933, Scherzer was an assistant to Carl Ramsauer
Carl Ramsauer
Carl Wilhelm Ramsauer was an internationally notable professor of physics and research physicist, famous for the discovery of the Ramsauer-Townsend effect...
at the Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft, an electric combine with headquarters in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Frankfurt-on-Main. There, he did research on electron optics. He completed his Habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
in 1934, and he then became a Privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
at LMU and an assistant to Sommerfeld.
Career
In 1935, Scherzer moved to the Technische Hochschule DarmstadtDarmstadt University of Technology
The Technische Universität Darmstadt, abbreviated TU Darmstadt, is a university in the city of Darmstadt, Germany...
In 1936, he became an extraordinarius professor and director of the theoretical physics department. In a landmark 1936 paper, Scherzer proved that the spherical and chromatic aberrations of a rotationally symmetric, static, space-charge-free, dioptric lens for electron beams cannot be eliminated by skillful design, in contrast to the case for glass lenses. In 1947, Scherzer published a sequel to this paper proposing various corrected lenses, dependent upon abandoning one or other requirements as set forth in the 1936 paper. Scherzer’s derivations contributed to the development of electron microscopy.
From 1939 to 1945, Scherzer worked on radar at the communications research headquarters of the German Navy (Nachrichtenmittel-Versuchskommando der Kriegsmarine). In a communication with Sommerfeld, dated 2 December 1944, Scherzer reported war damage in Darmstadt and commented on his work on radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. From 1944 to 1945, Scherzer was head of radar finding research (Arbeitsbereich Funkmesstechnik) for the Reich Research Council (Reichsforschungsrat
Reichsforschungsrat
The Reichsforschungsrat was created in Germany in 1937 under the Education Ministry for the purpose of centralized planning of all basic and applied research, with the exception of aeronautical research...
), which was the coordinating agency in the Reich Education Ministry (Reichsziehungsministerium) for the centralized planning of basic and applied research.
In 1954, Scherzer became ordinarius professor a the Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, where he helped found the Society for Heavy Ion Research. A literature citation places Scherzer at Darmstadt as late as 1978. Scherzer died in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
.
Awards
- 1983 – Microscopy Society of America, Distinguished Scientist Award, Physical Sciences
Selected Literature
- O. Scherzer (Darmstadt) Über einige Fehler von Elektronenlinsen, Zeitschrift für Physik Volume 101, Numbers 9-10, Pages 593-603 (1936). Received 4. Juni 1936.
- O. Scherzer, Sphärische und chromatische Korrektur von Elektronenlinsen, Optik 2 114–132 (1947) as cited in Peter Hawkes - Recent Advances in Electron Optics and Electron Microscopy.
- O. Scherzer (Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey) The Theoretical Resolution Limit of the Electron Microscope, Journal of Applied Physics Volume 20, Issue 1, pp. 20-29 (1948). Received June 14, 1948.
- O. Scherzer Proceedings ICEM-9 Volume 3, 123–9 (1978) as cited in Peter Hawkes - The Long Road to Spherical Aberration Correction.
Books
- E. Brüche and O. Scherzer Geometrische Elektronenoptik: Grundlagen und Anwendungen (Springer, 1934)