Semen Altshuler Soviet physicist, professor Date of Birth: 24.09.1911

1. Early Life and Education
2. Scientific Career
3. Military Service and Return to Academia
4. Scientific Contributions
5. Recognition and Leadership

Early Life and Education

Semyon Alexandrovich Altshuler was born in Vitebsk on an unspecified date. In 1932, he graduated from Kazan University with a major in physics and mathematics.

Scientific Career

Altshuler's scientific journey began at the Physical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where he pursued postgraduate studies under the guidance of I. E. Tamm. In 1935, he returned to Kazan University.

Military Service and Return to Academia

During the early days of World War II, Altshuler voluntarily joined the Red Army. After completing a brief training program at the Military-Political Academy, he served on the front lines as part of an anti-tank artillery unit. He reached the rank of major by the end of the war and was demobilized in 1946.

Upon his return to Kazan, Altshuler resumed his academic career. He became a professor in 1955 and eventually headed the Department of Radiospectroscopy and Quantum Electronics.

Scientific Contributions

Altshuler made significant contributions to the fields of radiospectroscopy and paramagnetism, particularly nuclear magnetism. In 1934, alongside I. E. Tamm, he predicted the existence of a magnetic moment in the neutron and correctly estimated its sign and magnitude.

During the pre-war period, Altshuler also collaborated with B. M. Kozyrev and E. K. Zavoisky in the experimental search for the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal. They claimed to have observed the signal in June 1941, but it was sporadic and poorly reproducible. The ongoing war halted further research.

In 1948, Altshuler discovered, together with B. M. Kozyrev and S. G. Salikhov, the influence of hyperfine magnetic interactions on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra. This discovery paved the way for EPR to be used as a new method for investigating condensed media.

In 1952, Altshuler theorized and developed the concept of acoustic paramagnetic resonance (APR). This achievement earned him international recognition and laid the foundation for a new field known as quantum acoustics. He was recognized as the author of the scientific discovery "Acoustic Paramagnetic Resonance," which was entered into the USSR State Register of Discoveries on June 9, 1952.

Altshuler also proposed a method for obtaining ultra-low temperatures using the adiabatic demagnetization of nuclear spins in van Vleck paramagnets. This improved the efficiency of producing ultra-low temperatures using magnetic methods by orders of magnitude.

In collaboration with other researchers, Altshuler employed the Mandelstam-Brillouin scattering method to study non-equilibrium phonons in paramagnetic crystals, leading to the discovery of the phenomenon of phonon avalanches.

Recognition and Leadership

Altshuler served as Chairman of the USSR Academy of Sciences Scientific Council on "Radiospectroscopy of Condensed Media," a member of the Presidium of the Kazan Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics (JETP). He was also involved in numerous other scientific councils.

Altshuler played a key role in establishing a thriving center for radiospectroscopic research in Kazan and mentored generations of scientists, including 10 doctors and numerous candidates of sciences.