Menu ☰

Back to Top

Physics History Network

Over 1000 biographies of physicists and histories of institutions with information pertaining to their lives, careers, and research.

Tip: Search within this page by using Ctrl + F or ⌘ + F


Search Our Catalogs

Archives Books

Collections

Emilio Segré Visual Archives Digital Collections Oral Histories Archival Finding Aids Physics History Network Member Society Portals Ethical Cataloging Statement

Preservation and Support

Donating Materials Suggest a Book Purchase Saving Archival Collections Grants to Archives Documentation Projects History Newsletters

Center for History of Physics

Scholarship & Outreach

Main Navigation

HomeAboutTopic GuidesFeedback

Table of Contents

Biography

AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjects

Relationships

PeopleInstitutions

Resources

Archival as SubjectPublished as Subject

Gerd Binnig

Photo

Dates

July 20, 1947 – present

Authorized Form of Name

Binnig, Gerd, 1947-

Biography

Abstract

Gerd Binnig is a condensed matter physicist at IBM Zurich Research Laboratory. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 along with Heinrich Rohrer "for their design of the scanning tunneling microscope."

Important Dates

July 20, 1947Birth, Frankfurt am Main (Germany).

1975Obtained BS in Physics, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (Germany).

1978Obtained PhD in Physics, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (Germany).

1978 – 1985Researcher, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Zurich (Switzerland).

1985 – 1986Researcher, Almaden Research Center, San Jose (Calif.).

1986Awarded Otto Klung Prize.

1986Awarded King Faisal Prize.

1986Awarded German Physics Prize.

1986Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics with Heinrich Rohrer "for their design of the scanning tunneling microscope".

1986Awarded Hewlett Packard Prize.

1986 – 1988Visiting Professor, Stanford University.

1987IBM Fellow.

1987 – 1995Research group leader IBM Physics Group (1987-1995) and Honorary Professor (1987), Universität München (University of Munich), Munich (Germany).

1989Published “Aus dem Nichts” (Out of Nothing).

1994Member, Supervisory Board, Daimler Benz Holding.

1994Established with Dieter Herold Definiens AG, Research Institute.

2016Awarded Kavli Prize in Nanoscience.

Occupation

Instrumentation and condensed matter physicist.

Places

Birth

Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

Undergraduate Education

Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

Graduate Education

Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

Employment

Zurich (Switzerland)

Munich (Germany)

San Jose (Calif.)

Subjects

Condensed matter.

Instrumentation.

Scanning electron microscopes.

Relationships

People

Family

Binnig, Karl Franz

Father.

Binnig, Lore Wagler

Wife.

Binnig, Ruth Bracke

Mother.

Advisors & Collaborators

Gerber, C. (Christoph)

Collaborated with Quate and Binnig on the atomic force microscope.

Hoenig, Eckhardt

PhD advisor at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University.

Martienssen, W.

PhD advisor at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University.

Müller, K. A. (Karl A.), 1927-

Research advisor, IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, Ruschlikon.

Quate, Calvin F.

Collaborated with Binnig and Gerber on the atomic force microscope.

Rohrer, Heinrich, 1933-2013

Shared Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 "for their design of the scanning tunneling.”

Colleagues

Herold, Dieter

Established Definiens AG with Binnig.

Additional

Ruska, Ernst

Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 for a separate project.

Institutions

Major Positions

Almaden Research Center (IBM Research)

Researcher.

IBM Zürich Research Laboratory

Researcher.

Stanford University. Department of Physics

Visiting Professor.

Universitat Munchen. Fakultat fur Physik

Research Group Leader IBM Physics Group and Honorary Professor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft

Member, Supervisory Board.

Universität Frankfurt am Main

Obtained BS (1975) and PhD (1978) in Physics.

Resources

Archival Resources

Subject

American Institute of Physics Physics Today division Bertram Schwarzchild Nobel Prize files, 1954-2013.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Subject

Encyclopaedia Britannica Gerd Binnig.

Gerd Binnig Nobel Prize biography.

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings: Prof. Dr. Gerd Karl Binnig.