John Clarke Slater (22.12.1900-25.07.1976) — an American theoretical physicist, a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1932). Born in Oak Park. He graduated from the universities of Rochester (1920) and Harvard (1923). In 1924—30 he worked at Harvard University, and in 1930—66 he was professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1964 he was professor at the University of Florida.
His research concerned quantum theory and its application to the physics of atoms, molecules and crystals, chemical physics, magnetism and the theory of excitons. In 1929 he showed that a determinant made up of individual electron wave functions can be used as a many-electron wave function, convenient for variational calculations in problems of the electronic structure of atoms and molecules (Slater determinants).
In 1930 he proposed a polar model of crystals and, independently of F. Bloch, introduced spin waves. He extended the collective model of ferromagnetic metals and alloys. In 1937 he constructed a theory of ferromagnetism in metals, based in part on the use of Wannier functions. He extended the theory of valence bonds, the basic ideas of the barrier mechanism of photoconductivity, and the theory of atomic multiplets. In 1934 he generalised the Wigner—Seitz cell method, and in 1937 he proposed the method of augmented plane waves for the calculation of many-electron systems.
He founded a school of physicists. The National Medal of Science and others.