Gerald Mahan

Physicist and member of the National Academy of Sciences

What is Gerald Mahan known for?

Gerald Dennis Mahan was a renowned American condensed matter physicist, born in Portland, Oregon on November 24, 1937. Known for his research interests in transport and optical properties of materials, and solid-state devices, he graduated valedictorian from Franklin High School in his hometown. Later, he pursued higher education at Harvard University, earning a B.A. in Physics magna cum laude in 1959. His academic journey continued at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his Ph.D. in physics for explaining linear dispersion in excitations under the guidance of John Hopfield in 1964.

Mahan's illustrious career kicked off at the General Electric Research Laboratory, where he worked full-time from 1963 to 1967, and part-time for another 28 years. His work at General Electric is notable for applying mathematical techniques developed by Alexei Abrikosov, Lev Gorkov, and Igor Ekhielevich Dzyaloshinskii to theoretical solid-state physics. His revolutionary solutions challenged the conventional wisdom and contributed significantly to the field.

Following his tenure at General Electric, Mahan served as a professor of physics at various prestigious institutions, including the University of Oregon, Indiana University, University of Tennessee, and Pennsylvania State University. He also spent a significant part of his career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Throughout his career, Mahan expanded his research to include surface science, the microscopic theory of dielectrics, and varistors. His groundbreaking work on the time-dependent local density approximation (TDLDA) built on the work of Walter Kohn and widely influenced the field of physics. A book he later wrote with former Ph.D. student Kumble Subbaswammy, titled "Local Density Theory of Polarizability," attests to his dedication to developing scientific talent.

Charles Duke, who worked closely with Mahan at GE, credits him with teaching solid-state physics. This example demonstrates how Mahan's profound knowledge and expertise profoundly impacted those around him.

The legacy of Gerald Dennis Mahan, who passed away on November 21, 2021, lives on in the rich body of work he left behind and the numerous people he taught and influenced in his lifetime.

Find out more about his life and work from the Physics Today article that details his contributions to physics and this encouraging interview.