Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI)

Peter Grünberg, recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, dedicated his expertise to pushing the boundaries of fundamental research in information technology. This guiding principle also serves as the foundation for the renowned Peter Grünberg Institute, honoring the legacy of this celebrated scientist.

Peter Grünberg began working at Forschungszentrum Jülich in 1972. In the early 1980s, he studied metallic layers with dimensions spanning several millimeters in length and width, yet maintaining a thickness of only a few atomic layers. By incorporating a non-magnetic chromium layer between two magnetic iron layers, Grünberg was able to create a nanometer-thick sandwich within his samples. This unique sandwich exhibited a remarkable sensitivity to external magnetic fields, causing significant fluctuations in its overall electrical resistance even with small changes in the magnetic environment. This behavior is known as GMR (Giant Magnetoresistance).

This breakthrough allowed for easier reading of magnetic storage units and further shrinking of their size, enabling the enormous storage capacities we see today. The implementation of GMR in read heads in 1997, just under ten years after its discovery, led to a significant increase in the storage density of hard drives, rising from 60% to almost 100%. Its rapid translation from discovery and patenting to industrial mass production within a decade makes the GMR effect a prime example of basic research successfully turning into practical application.

In addition to the technological impact, the discovery of the GMR effect created an entirely new research area known as spintronics. Spintronics strives to exploit the quantum mechanical properties of the electron spin and electron charge on an equal footing for future applications in microelectronics and nanoelectronics.

Peter Grünberg's groundbreaking discovery has made an undeniable impact on our modern society , firmly establishing him as an esteemed and celebrated scientist. , he has been bestowed with numerous prestigious awards and accolades.  In 1998, he was awarded the coveted German Future Prize for Technology and Innovation, followed by the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physics in 2007. That same year, the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan recognized his work with the Japan Prize for "innovative devices inspired by basic research". Among his impressive list of accolades, Grünberg was also bestowed with the highly esteemed Wolf Foundation Prize. Further recognition came from the then President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Horst Köhler, who presented him with the "Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" on April 8th 2008. This impressive array of awards truly highlights the magnitude of Peter Grünberg's contributions to the world of science.

Along with his exceptional career accomplishments, he has been bestowed with prestigious honorary doctorates from esteemed institutions including RWTH Aachen University, the Universities of Bochum, Cologne, Saarbrücken, Athens, and Sendai (Japan), and the Gebze Institute of Technology in Turkey. Notably, in 2008, he was granted the esteemed title of honorary citizen by the city of Jülich, a highly deserving acknowledgement of his valuable contributions.

In 2007, Grünberg was chosen as the first Helmholtz professor, allowing him to expand his acclaimed research in spintronics with the help of his dedicated team in Jülich. Alongside his work, he also embarked on a series of engaging lecture tours across Germany and abroad, and actively aided in the establishment of spintronics laboratories in renowned universities in both South Korea and China.

Further information on the life and research of Peter Grünberg and on the Nobel Prize 2007