Alexei Abrikosov was born in 1928 in Moscow. He graduated from Moscow State University in 1948. He received a PhD from the Institute for Physical Problems in 1951. Afterward, he worked as a research scientist at IPP and received a Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences degree in 1955.
It was in 1952 that Abrikosov proposed the existence of type II superconductors. His work launched the field of study that has produced the superconducting magnets used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as particle accelerators and cell phone technology.
From 1951 until 1976, Abrikosov was a Professor at the Moscow State University. Also, from 1965 until 1988, he was the Head of the Department of the Theory of Solids at the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics in Moscow, and from 1976 until 1991, he was head of the Department for Theoretical Physics at the Moscow Institute for Steel and Alloys. From 1988 until 1991, he was Director of the Institute for High Pressure Physics in Troitsk.
In 1991, Abrikosov immigrated to the United States to work for the Argonne National Laboratory at the University of Chicago. His current research includes superconductivity, particle interactions, astrophysics, plasma physics, and the quantum behavior of materials.
In a CNN interview with Tom Moore, Abrikosov talked about the exodus of scientists from the former USSR:
Although I had nothing to complain about my work in the Soviet Union before arriving here now the conditions for scientists in the (former Soviet Union have) drastically deteriorated, and I am extremely happy that I was wise enough to accept the offer from Argonne.
Abrikosov said research in physics is not being pursued in Russia due to lack of funding. At a press conference after the announcement of his Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003, Abrikosov said:
I have always believed there is not a Russian science or other country's science. Especially in physics, which is a very international science. I meet more Russian scientists here than I did in Russia.
Abrikosov is known for his strong intellect and his ability to communicate and listen.
Abrikosov is currently an Argonne Distinguished Scientist at the Condensed Matter Theory Group in the Materials Science Division of the Argonne National Laboratory. He has published three books and many articles on superconductivity, theory of metals, semi-metals, semiconductors, magnetism, and quantum liquids.
Awards and Honors
- Honorable Doctorate, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, 1975
- Lenin Prize, 1966
- Member, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1964
- International Fritz London Award, 1972
- State Prize, USSR, 1982
- Landau Prize of the Academy of Sciences USSR, 1989
- International John Bardeen Award, 1991
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