The Rutherford Memorial Lecture, 1980 - Magnetic oscillations in metals

Abstract

Oscillations in the magnetization of a metal crystal were first observed by de Haas and van Alphen in bismuth 50 years ago, and over the years this effect has developed into a powerful tool in the study of the electronic structure of metals. The lecture describes in simple terms how this has come about, with some emphasis on the early history of the subject in which Rutherford was indirectly involved.