Meissner, Alexander

Alexander Meissner, (born Sept. 14, 1883, Vienna—died Jan. 3, 1958, Berlin), Austrian engineer whose work in antenna design, amplification, and detection advanced the development of radio telegraphy.

Meissner studied at the Vienna College of Engineering, earning the doctor of technical science degree in 1902. In 1907 he joined the Telefunken Company of Berlin, where he conducted research on radio problems. He improved the design of antennas for transmitting at long wavelengths, devised new vacuum-tube circuits and amplification systems, and developed the heterodyne principle for radio reception. In 1911 Meissner designed the first rotary radio beacon to aid in the navigation of the Zeppelin airships. In 1913 he was the first to amplify high-frequency radio signals by using feedback in a vacuum triode; this principle made it possible to build radio receivers more sensitive than any earlier type. After 1928 Meissner served as a professor at the Technical University of Berlin.