Jan Hendrik Schön

Jan Hendrik Schön (* 1970 ) is a German physicist . It sparked a scandal over falsified research in 2002 , which was followed by a debate about the responsibilities of co-authors and reviewers of scientific papers . Schön's research areas were nanotechnology and solid state physics .

Career

In 1988, Schön passed his Matura at the Bundesgymnasium in Feldkirch, Austria . He studied physics at the University of Konstanz , where he obtained his diploma in 1993 . In 1997 Jan Hendrik Schön did his doctorate at the University of Konstanz with the respected photovoltaics expert Ernst Bucher on the utilization of copper gallium diselenide for the production of solar cells .

At the end of 1997 he moved to Bell Laboratories in Bertram Batlogg's group and worked with the crystal grower Christian Kloc . He researched nanotechnology with organic semiconductors.

In 2001 he published an article every eight days on average, 17 of them in the highly regarded journals Nature and Science . In it, he reported on many groundbreaking results, including high-temperature fullerene- based superconductors and a transistor that consists of only one molecule . The Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart intended to appoint him as its youngest director.

In 2011 Schön worked as an engineer for a chemical company.

Allegations and consequences

In 2001, some physicists began to express doubts about various of Schön's publications because the measurement data contained therein appeared to them to be too exact in terms of measurement accuracy and some of Schön's claims contradicted generally accepted physical findings. In more detailed investigations it was subsequently discovered that Schön had published partially identical series of measurements for completely different experiments. In addition, he created “series of measurements” by simulating on the computer, which was only recognized after the other forgeries became known.

On September 21, 2002, an investigative commission set up by Bell Laboratories came to the conclusion that Schön had been guilty of scientific misconduct in 16 publications by falsifying measurement data .

Lucent Technologies (owner company of Bell Laboratories) dismissed him without notice. This was the first case of known scientific fraud in Bell Labs. The Max Planck Society renounced an appointment, several awards were given back ( Braunschweig Prize 2001) or revoked ( Otto Klung Weberbank Prize 2001). Several articles were withdrawn, some against Schön's will. The journal Science withdrew a total of eight publications written by Schön on October 31, 2002, and the journal Nature on March 5, 2003 seven such publications.

Schön acknowledged that the data in much of this work was inaccurate. However, he claimed that the mix-up was caused by mistake. Still, he admitted to having "adjusted" certain data to provide clearer evidence of what he actually observed in his experiments. He continues to insist that his experiments are working and that he has not cheated.

Scientists at the TU Delft and the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center have carried out similar experiments since then, but have not been able to confirm Schön's results.

Fake Publications

The following publications, among others, have been withdrawn:

• JH Schön, S. Berg, Ch. Kloc, B. Batlogg: Ambipolar pentacene field-effect transistors and inverters. Science 287, 1022 (2000).
• JH Schön, Ch. Kloc, RC Haddon, B. Batlogg: A superconducting field-effect switch. Science 288, 656 (2000).
• JH Schön, Ch. Kloc, B. Batlogg: Fractional quantum Hall effect in organic molecular semiconductors. Science 288: 2338 (2000).
• JH Schön, Ch. Kloc, A. Dodabala-pur, B. Batlogg: An organic solid state injection laser. Science 289: 599 (2000).
• JH Schön, A. Dodabalapur, Ch. Kloc, B. Batlogg: A light-emitting field-effect transistor. Science 290, 963 (2000).
• JH Schön, Ch. Kloc, HY Hwang, B. Batlogg: Josephson junctions with tunable weak links. Science 292: 252 (2001).
• JH Schön, Ch.Kloc, B. Batlogg: High-temperature superconductivity in lattice-expanded C ₆₀ . Science 293: 2432 (2001).
• JH Schön, H. Meng, Z. Bao: Field-effect modulation of the conductance of single molecules. Science 294: 2138 (2001).
• JH Schön, Ch.Kloc, B. Batlogg: Superconductivity at 52K in hole-doped C ₆₀ . Nature 408: 549-552 (2000).
• JH Schön et al .: Gate-induced superconductivity in a solution-processed organic polymer film. Nature 410: 189-192 (2001).
• JH Schön, H. Meng, Z. Bao: Self-assembled monolayer organic field-effect transistors. Nature 413, 713-716 (2001).
• JH Schön et al: Superconductivity in single crystals of the fullerene C ₇₀ . Nature 413: 831-833 (2001).
• JH Schön et al: Superconductivity in CaCuO ₂ as a result of field-effect doping. Nature 414: 434-436 (2001).

In the final report of the investigation commission, further articles are classified as suspicious.

Revocation of the doctoral degree

In June 2004, the University of Konstanz Schön revoked the doctorate for "unworthy behavior". What was unusual about this step was that the honesty of the doctoral thesis itself was not questioned, but rather a passage in the University Act of Baden-Württemberg, which had hardly been considered until then, was used, according to which the title can also be withdrawn, "if the holder changes through his later Conduct of leadership of the degree has proven unworthy ”. The University of Schöns cited misconduct as a researcher in the USA. For years, Schön took legal action against the revocation of the doctoral degree, but ultimately failed before the Federal Administrative Court, which finally dismissed the lawsuit on July 31, 2013. A constitutional complaint against the judgment was not accepted by the Federal Constitutional Court for decision. The withdrawal of the doctorate is now legally binding.

Others

The Hendrik Schön case is the subject of a novel by Gianfranco D'Anna, whose eponymous hero Albert Thebell is inspired by Schön.

literature

• Eugenie Samuel Reich: Plastic Fantastic: How the Biggest Fraud in Physics Shook the Scientific World , MacMillan Science 2009.

Web links

• Literature by and about Jan Hendrik Schön in the catalog of the German National Library
• Interview with the science journalist Eugenie Samuel Reich, who wrote a book about beautiful, at americanscientist.org, English

supporting documents

1. ↑ Forger loses his doctorate ( memento from July 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), Südwestpresse, September 15, 2011. - Schön stays a doctor , pro-physik.de, September 28, 2010
2. ^ Report of the Investigation Committee on the Possibility of Scientific Misconduct in the Work of Hendrik Schön and Coauthors ( Memento of November 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Bell Labs Research Review Report, September 2002, in English
3. ↑ Doctor? No! . Physik Journal 8 (2009) No. 12, p. 11
4. ^ Ikarus der Physik Der Spiegel from October 7, 2002
5. ↑ University of Konstanz revokes Jan Hendrik Schön's doctorate ( memento of August 22, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) press release 85 of June 11, 2004.
6. ↑ University of Konstanz: Withdrawal of the doctoral degree confirmed in the last instance ( memento of July 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), press release No. 98 of July 31, 2013.
7. ↑ https://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/pressemitteilungen/bvg14-085.html
8. ^ Gianfranco D'Anna: "Albert Thebell, physicist and forger". Verlag die Brotsuppe, 2014. Society & Religion - How a physicist almost tricked a Nobel Prize , srf.ch, February 11, 2014.