German physicist Dr. Peter Grünberg, known for his groundbreaking work on digital data storage, passed away at a hospital in Germany on April 7. He was 78.
Dr. Grünberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2007 for his discovery of giant magnetoresistance, which brought about a breakthrough in ultrahigh-density hard disk drives. His research center, Forschungszentrum Jülich, said in a statement that without Dr. Grünberg, modern computers and smartphones would be "unthinkable."
Dr. Grünberg, conferred an honorary doctorate by Tohoku University, was a visiting professor at the Institute for Materials Research from January until to May 1998, a University Professor from October 2009 until January 2010, and a Distinguished Invited University Professor from May to June 2016.
Since May 2016, he was a member of the Tohoku University International Advisory Board comprising representatives from leading universities and industry. The board was established to provide advice on strengthening internalization at the university.
While at Tohoku University, Professor Grünberg helped foster the development of young researchers through joint research, educational lectures and specialized guidance in the area of materials science.
Contact:
Public Relations DivisionE-mail: public_relations@grp.tohoku.ac.jp