Person Ridley; Brian Kidd (1931 - 2024); solid state physicist Ridley Brian Kidd solid state physicist 1931 - 2024 British Male 02/03/1931 19310302 22/05/2024 20240522

Physicist Opto electronics Microscopy Solid state physics Materials Science Engineering Education: University of Durham BSc 1953; PhD 1957. Activity: Research physicist in the solid-state physics division of the Mullard Research Laboratories in Redhill, Surrey (1956–1964); lecturer in physics, University of Essex (1964); senior lecturer (1967); reader (1971); Professor of physics (1984); retired (2008). Medals/Awards: Dirac Medal 2001 Conducted important work on negative differential resistance (NDR), instabilities and hot-electron transport in semiconductors. He jointly discovered the electron transfer mechanism (Ridley–Watkins–Hilsum effect) which underlies microwave generation in Gunn diodes, and he was the first to discover the impurity barrier mechanism for NDR, and to demonstrate its existence in germanium. He was also the first to describe the consequences of NDR instabilities in terms of propagating dipole domains and current filaments, and the existence of these nonlinear entities has been amply verified in a wide variety of solids. His work on acoustoelectric instabilities led to his invention of the microsonic analogue of the laser. made original contributions to the theory of electron transitions in solids, particularly impurity scattering and multiphonon processes, and this work is embodied in his monograph Quantum Processes in Semiconductors, widely used as a reference text. His interest in popularising physics is manifested in his book, Time, Space and Things, which has been much translated and widely quoted. Fellow 10/03/1994 63 The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Brian Ridley FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/brian-ridley-12177/; last accessed: 29/01/2025] University of Essex, 16 March 2009, Conference to honour physicists, Colchester Campus, [URL: https://www1.essex.ac.uk/news/event.aspx?e_id=531; last accessed: 29/01/2025] International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 RCN 28461 RCN R69107 2 Mar 1931 - The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 29/01/2025 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA4252 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 05/06/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 486985f4-71df-46fc-8748-20955d4511a4