The decision by the Nobel Committee in 2007 let loose an unprecedented flood of interest by the press. Within a few minutes all the telephone lines were jammed and throngs of journalists from radio, television and the papers were on their way to the Research Centre. They all had the opportunity to film, photograph and interview the 2007 Nobel laureate. Up until the late evening, Peter Grünberg patiently gave interviews and let himself be photographed.
News of the Nobel Prize for Prof. Peter Grünberg spread through the Research Centre like wildfire. A special edition of the Newsletter and an announcement on the public address system made sure everyone heard the news. The Board of Directors invited all members of staff to a spontaneous celebration in the foyer of the Lecture Theatre where Peter Grünberg was greeted by tumultuous applause after the press conference.
This year, the Jülich researcher Peter Grünberg and his colleague Albert Fert from the University of Paris have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics by the Nobel Committee. Grünberg and Fert are honoured for their discovery of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in the eighties. The GMR effect led to the breakthrough in gigabyte hard disks used in every computer produced today.