Didn’t the Cavendish Laboratory move location? The Mott Building stands as a testament to scientific progress. It is part of the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory. The laboratory has a rich history of discovery and innovation in physics.
Let’s step back to 1874. The Cavendish Laboratory opened its doors under James Clerk Maxwell. He was the first Cavendish Professor of Experimental Physics. Before this, physics was mainly theoretical, the realm of mathematicians. Isaac Newton, Thomas Young, and George Gabriel Stokes made experimental contributions from their colleges. The Great Exhibition of 1851 highlighted the need for practical science and engineering training. This need led to the creation of dedicated experimental physics labs. William Cavendish, the Seventh Duke of Devonshire, generously donated £6,300 for the construction of a physics laboratory.
Maxwell designed and equipped the new laboratory. His theories of electricity, magnetism, and statistical physics were later confirmed by experiments. After Maxwell’s death in 1879, Lord Rayleigh became the Cavendish Professor. He established a systematic course in experimental physics. This course remains central to the Laboratory’s teaching program.
J.J. Thomson succeeded Rayleigh in 1884. He initiated a revolution in physics. This revolution led to the discovery of quantum mechanics in the 1920s. Thomson’s tenure allowed students from outside Cambridge to study for a Ph.D. Ernest Rutherford and Charles Wilson were among the first physics graduate students. They later won Nobel Prizes along with Thomson. Thomson discovered the electron. Wilson invented the cloud chamber. Rutherford achieved artificial nuclear fission. These advances marked the beginning of modern physics.
In 1919, Rutherford replaced Thomson. During Rutherford’s time, Francis Aston discovered isotopes. Patrick Blackett photographed nuclear interactions. James Chadwick discovered the neutron. John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton conducted the first controlled nuclear disintegration experiment. They also experimentally proved E=mc2.
Lawrence Bragg followed Rutherford in 1938. He used X-ray crystallography to understand biological molecules. This led to the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure by Francis Crick and James Watson. Research expanded to low temperatures in the Mond Laboratory. Also, research was expanded to high energies using particle accelerators.
Nevill Mott succeeded Bragg in 1954. He led pioneering studies in condensed matter physics. His work on amorphous semiconductors earned him a Nobel Prize. The Laboratory grew rapidly. Overcrowding in central Cambridge necessitated a move. Brian Pippard, Mott’s successor in 1971, managed the relocation to West Cambridge.
The move was completed in 1974. Radio astronomy and semiconductor physics became major research areas. New disciplines emerged. Sam Edwards’s appointment in 1984 led to the study of soft condensed matter. Biological physics and the physics of medicine also became important. Polymer semiconductor physics thrived under Richard Friend. In the 21st century, nanotechnology, cold atoms, and ultra-low temperature physics emerged.
The Mott building exemplifies the benefits of this collaborative environment. Researchers in the Physics and Chemistry of Solids group. Those interested in the electrical behavior of amorphous semiconductors. Also, researchers in Metal Physics and Low Temperature Physics. They are concerned with the mechanical and thermal properties of glasses. All these researchers exchange ideas. Professor Mott acts as a catalyst for these interactions. He is deeply embedded in the experimental areas.
Today, the Cavendish Laboratory continues its tradition of innovation. The Mott Building stands as a hub for cutting-edge research. It drives progress in physics and related fields.