Robert Wichard Pohl

Robert Wichard Pohl
Robert Pohl, Göttingen 1923
Born
Robert Wichard Pohl

(1884-08-10)10 August 1884
Died5 June 1976(1976-06-05) (aged 91)
Alma materUniversity of Heidelberg
Humboldt University of Berlin
Known forF-center
ChildrenRobert Otto Pohl
RelativesErwin Madelung (brother-in-law)
Scientific career
FieldsSolid state physics
InstitutionsHumboldt University of Berlin
University of Göttingen
Doctoral advisorEmil Warburg

Robert Wichard Pohl (10 August 1884 – 5 June 1976) was a German physicist and professor of the University of Göttingen. The physical institute in Göttingen led by Pohl was one of the first schools in solid state physics and Nevill Francis Mott described Pohl as the "father of solid state physics.". He is known for relating color in alkali metal halides with the presence of vacancies and F-centers (also called color centers), a type of crystallographic defect. He also demonstrated the first transistor based on color centers. The Gudden–Pohl effect and the Pohl torsion pendulum (Pohl wheel) are named after him.