Dr. Max von Laue was a distinguished German physicist born on October 9, 1879, in Pfaffendorf near Koblenz, Germany, who established himself as a leading figure in theoretical physics during the early 20th century. He received his PhD in physics from the University of Berlin in 1903 and subsequently held academic positions at the University of Munich, the University of Zurich, and the University of Frankfurt. As a Privatdozent at the University of Berlin, he first met Albert Einstein, with whom he developed a friendship that contributed significantly to the acceptance of Einstein's theory of relativity. Von Laue's career spanned critical developments in modern physics, positioning him at the forefront of scientific discovery during the transition from classical to quantum physics.
Von Laue's most groundbreaking contribution came in 1912 when he discovered the diffraction of X-rays by crystals, a single experiment that simultaneously resolved two major scientific questions of the era: it confirmed that X-rays are electromagnetic waves and demonstrated the periodic arrangement of atoms in crystals. This revolutionary discovery, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1914, established the foundation for X-ray crystallography, a technique that would become indispensable for determining atomic and molecular structures. His pioneering experiment, conducted with assistants Friedrich and Knipping, involved beaming X-rays through copper-sulfate crystals and observing the resulting diffraction patterns on photographic plates. This work not only revealed the wave nature of X-rays but also opened entirely new avenues for exploring the atomic structure of matter across physics, chemistry, and biology. The mathematical formulation von Laue developed to explain these patterns became fundamental to the emerging field of solid-state physics.
Beyond his Nobel-winning work, von Laue made significant contributions to quantum theory, the theory of relativity, and superconductivity, publishing important research on the thermodynamic aspects of superconductivity and the magnetic field threshold that destroys superconducting states. A vocal opponent of Nazism, he played a crucial role in re-establishing and organizing German scientific research after World War II, serving as Acting Director of the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen from 1946. His intellectual leadership extended to championing Einstein's theory of relativity and mentoring future generations of physicists during his tenure as director of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Berlin from 1919. Von Laue's discovery of X-ray diffraction catalyzed two major scientific branches: X-ray spectroscopy, which advanced atomic theory, and X-ray crystal structure analysis, which revolutionized chemistry and biochemistry. Dr. von Laue passed away on April 23, 1960, in Berlin, leaving an enduring legacy as one of the great physicists of the transition period from classical to quantum physics, with his techniques continuing to underpin modern materials science and structural biology.
