Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Charles P. Slichter

Research Professor of Physics
and Center for Advanced Study Emeritus Professor of Physics and of Chemistry

Professor Charles Slichter, internationally recognized in condensed matter physics, is one of the world's top research scientists in the area of magnetic resonance and has been a leading innovator in applications of resonance techniques to understanding the structure of matter. Professor Slichter's deep physical insight and elegant experimental mastery have allowed him to make seminal contributions to an extraordinarily broad range of problems of great theoretical interest and technological importance in physics and chemistry.

Professor Slichter received his A.B. (1946), M.A. (1947), and Ph.D. (1949) degrees from Harvard College, all in physics. During World War II, he worked as a research assistant at the Underwater Explosives Research Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, while an undergraduate at Harvard. He came to the University of Illinois in 1949 as an instructor in physics; he was promoted to assistant professor in 1951, to associate professor in 1954, and to full professor in 1955. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1967, to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1969, and to the American Philosophical Society in 1971. He has received the Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics (American Physical Society, 1969), the Triennial Prize (International Society of Magnetic Resonance [ISMAR], 1986), the Comstock Prize (National Academy of Sciences, 1993), and the Oliver E. Buckley Prize in Condensed Matter Physics (American Physical Society, 1996). He received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo in 1993, and an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from Harvard University in 1996.

Although he retired from teaching in 1996, Professor Slichter maintains an active research program and remains a vital presence in our department. His textbook, Principles of Magnetic Resonance, now in its third printing, has served as the standard in the field for three and a half decades. He has directed the Ph.D. research of 63 Illinois graduates, a group that is contributing immeasurably to industry and academia.

Research Areas: experimental condensed matter physics, magnetic resonance

Description of Current Research

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Solids
We probe magnetic and electric fields at the atomic level by NMR to study many-body effects, phase transitions, magnetism, solids possessing unusual properties, and electronic and structural aspects of surface atoms and absorbed molecules (including catalysis). Examples: Solids (1) High- temperature superconductors, for which NMR provides detailed information about both the normal and superconducting states. (2) Charge density waves (NMR of NbSe₃ ) including study of the motion under applied electric fields. Surfaces (1) Electronic properties of the surface layer of atoms of Pt particles, by 195 Pt NMR. (2) Quantum effects arising from the small size of the metal particles. (3) Bonding and structure of molecules (e.g., CO, C₂ H₂ ) adsorbed on Pt, by ¹³C NMR. (4) Special methods: ¹H, ¹³C double resonance to monitor breaking of the C-H bond.

NMR Studies of High-Temperature Superconductors
NMR has proved to be an important tool to study superconductivity. We are investigating the normal and superconducting states of high-temperature superconductors, such as YBa₂Cu₃O₇ or La_2-xCuO₄, to learn how to describe the normal state, what mechanism leads to superconductivity, and why the transition temperatures are so high. The resonances of ^63,65Cu, ¹⁷O, ⁸⁹Y, ^135,137Ba permit NMR to probe specific atomic sites (e.g., Cu nuclei in the CuO₂ planes).

Selected Publications

Comment, A, et al. Magnetic properties of pure and Gd-doped EuO probed by NMR. Phys. Rev. B 72, 014428-1-12 (2005).

Smith, DF, Slichter, CP, Schlueter, JA, Kini, AM, and Daugherty R. G. Precise determination of the orientation of the Dzialoshinskii-Moriya vector in k-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Cl. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 167002-1-4 (2004).

Haase, J, Slichter, CP, and Milling, CT.Static charge and spin inhomogeneity in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ by NMR. J. Superconductivity 15, 339-343 (2002).

Curro, NJ, Milling C, Haase J, and Slichter CP. Local-field dependence of the 17O spin lattice relaxation and echo decay rates in the mixed state of YBa₂Cu₃O₇. Phys. Rev. B 62, 3473-3479 (2000).

Slichter, CP. The Knight shift-a powerful probe of condensed-matter systems. Phil. Mag. B 79, 1253-1261 (1999).

Sakaie K. E., C. P. Slichter, P. Lin, M. Jaime, and M. B. Salamon. ¹³⁹  La spectrum and spin-lattice relaxation measurements of La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ in the paramagnetic state. Phys. Rev. B 59, 9382-9391 (1999).

Curro N. and C. P. Slichter. Contributions of spin-lattice relaxation to the echo decay of planar Cu in high-temperature superconductors. J. Magn. Reson. 130, 186-194 (1998).

Haase J., N. J. Curro, R. Stern, and C. P. Slichter. New methods for NMR of cuprate superconductors. Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1489-1492 (1998).

Slichter C. P., R. Corey, N. Curro, J. Haase, C. Milling, D. Morr, J. Schmalian, and R. Stern. J-coupling in high temperature superconductors. Molec. Phys. 95, 897-906 (1998).

Curro N. J., T. Imai, C. P. Slichter, and B. Dabrowski. High-temperature ⁶³ Cu(2) nuclear quadrupole and magnetic resonance measurements of YBa₂Cu₄O₈. Phys. Rev. B 56, 877-885 (1997).

Slichter C. P. From ancient roots to modern times. Special Symposium to honor Raymond Andrew. Jan. 5, 1997) Solid State Nucl. Magn. Res. 9, 13-19 (1997).

Corey R. L., N. J. Curro, K. O'Hara, T. Imai, C. P. Slichter et al. ⁶³ Cu(2) nuclear quadrupole and nuclear magnetic resonance studies of YBa₂Cu₄O₈ in the normal and superconducting states. Phys. Rev. B 53, 5907-5914 (1996).

Slichter, Charles P. Early days of magnetic resonance studies of solids. Encyclopedia of NMR 642-649 (1996).

honors and awards

Honorary Degrees

• Doctor of Science, University of Waterloo, 1993
• Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.), Harvard University, 1996

Professional Registrations

• American Physical Society, Fellow
• Member, Chemical Physics Division, Condensed Matter Division
• Former Councillor of the Society
• American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science, Fellow
• Intl. Society of Magnetic Resonance
• Vice President 1983-86
• President 1987-90
• International Paramagnetic Resonance Society, Fellow

Membership in Honorary Societies

• Phi Beta Kappa
• Sigma Xi
• National Academy of Sciences,
  Member (1967)
  Chrm. Phys. Section (1974-77)
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Member (1969)
• American Philosophical Society, Member (1971)

Prizes

• Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (1955-61)
• American Physical Society Langmuir Prize (1969)
• Triennial Prize of the Intl. Soc. of Magnetic Resonance (1986)
• Natl. Academy of Science, Comstock Prize Recipient (1993)
• Tau Beta Pi Daniel C. Drucker Award (1989)
• DOE Sustained Outstanding Research in Solid State Physics by the U. S. DOE's Div. of Materials Science (1984, 1992)
• DOE Prize for Outstanding Scientific Accomplishments in Solid State Physics (1993)
• APS Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize (1996)

Other Pages

Complete List of Publications

Research Achievements

Slichter Tree - a graphical representation of Professor Slichter's scientific "family tree" of advisers and students, presented to him in honor of his 80th birthday and 55th year of teaching physics in Urbana