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).