Charles Kittel Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
Charles Kittel and Malvin Ruderman calculated how conduction electrons mediate an interaction between nuclear magnetic moments. A nuclear moment perturbs the electron system, whose response in turn acts on another nuclear moment: the nuclei need not interact only through their direct magnetic coupling. Their 1954 calculation connected this indirect interaction with nuclear magnetic resonance line widths in silver and discussed predictions involving different isotopes. This is an early example of extracting information about collective electronic response from a magnetic resonance measurement.[ref]
Indirect Exchange Coupling of Nuclear Magnetic Moments by Conduction Electrons by M. A. Ruderman and Charles Kittel. Physical Review 96, 99–102 (1954), abstract and silver resonance discussion
His research with Malvin Ruderman helped explain conduction-electron-mediated exchange. Berkeley collects recollections of his research and teaching: physics.berkeley.edu/node/808.
Charles Kittel, from the University of California, Berkeley
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