Marshall I. Nathan received his PhD from Harvard University, USA. He began his career at IBM Corporation, USA, in the Research Division working in semiconductor physics, particularly hot electron phenomena and tunnel diodes. He moved to IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center and began work on the luminescence of III-V semiconductors. He joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota, USA, in 1987 and is currently a Professor Emeritus.

In 1962, Nathan and colleagues observed stimulated emission in gallium arsenide (GaAs), thus demonstrating the viability of the injection laser. He continued his pioneering studies of the physics associated with laser action in semiconductors and also conducted research on hot electron phenomena, Raman scattering, laser annealing and semiconductor microstructures.

Nathan has been an active volunteer, serving on conference and awards committee, organizing conferences on  semiconductor physics, and serving as the Secretary-Treasurer for the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Solid State Physics. He is a Fellow of IEEE and APS and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. His awards include the IEEE David Sarnoff Award and IBM Outstanding Contribution Award, Semiconductor Laser. In 2022, Nathan received the Nick Holonyak Jr. Award "for his pioneering work in creating GaAs diode lasers and inventive contributions to compound semiconductors and laser physics."