Matthias, Bernd T(eo) (1918–1980)

German-born US physicist. He discovered more superconductive elements and compounds than any other scientist; his 1954 niobium-tin alloy became the primary superconducting material before the advent of ceramics. Matthias was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. He studied in Rome, Italy, and Zürich, Switzerland, before moving to the USA in 1947 to work at Bell Telephone Laboratories (1947–80). He also worked concurrently at the University of California, San Diego (1961–80).