Biography:Walter Heitler
| Walter Heitler | |
|---|---|
| |
| Walter Heitler | |
| Born | 2 January 1904 Karlsruhe, German Empire |
| Died | 15 November 1981 Zurich, Switzerland
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| Known for | Heitler-London theory; valence bond theory; quantum electrodynamics |
Walter Heinrich Heitler (2 January 1904 - 15 November 1981) was a German-Irish theoretical physicist. With Fritz London, he developed one of the first quantum-mechanical treatments of the chemical bond, now known as the Heitler-London theory.
Quantum chemistry
The Heitler-London treatment of the hydrogen molecule showed how electron exchange and wave-function symmetry could explain covalent bonding. It became a foundation for valence bond theory and helped bring chemistry into the framework of quantum mechanics.
Heitler is linked in the Quantum Collection with:
- Physics:Quantum chemistry
- Physics:Quantum computational chemistry
- Physics:Quantum valence bond theory
Quantum field theory
Heitler also worked in quantum electrodynamics and wrote influential texts on radiation theory. His work helped connect atomic, molecular, and field-theoretic approaches to quantum physics.
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Author: Harold Foppele