George Grüner

George Grüner
EducationPhD, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1977
Scientific career
FieldsElectron states of matter, nanotechnology, bioelectronics
WorkplacesUniversity of California, Los Angeles

George Grüner is a Hungarian-American physicist and Distinguished Research Professor of Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).[1] His research spans fundamental condensed matter physics, nanotechnology, bioelectronics, and materials science. He has authored more than 700 publications with over 46,000 citations and an h-index of 94[2], and holds more than two dozen issued patents.[3]

Education and career

Grüner showed early aptitude in mathematics, winning several national prizes while in high school and representing Hungary as a member of its Mathematics Olympic Team.[4]

He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies  in physics at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (1961–1966), and was awarded the Candidate of Sciences degree in Budapest in 1972.[1]

Career

Grüner began his professional career as a Research Scientist at the Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest (1966–1972), followed by a postdoctoral appointment at Imperial College London (1972–1973). He returned to the Central Research Institute for Physics as Department Head (1973–1978).[4]

He joined the University of California, Los Angeles as a Visiting Scientist (1980–1981) and was appointed Professor of Physics in 1981, Distinguished Professor of Physics in 1987, and Distinguished Research Professor of Physics in 2021.[3]

During his tenure at UCLA, he held a visiting scientist position at several universitiesn worldwide, including  the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, and held several innovation-related positions at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.[5]

Research and contributions

During his career, the focus of his research was on the collective behavior of electrons in matter, these underly the electrical properties of materials. His scientific activities include exploratory research, technology development, invention and innovation activity, intellectual property creation, startup companies, and as an advisor, the innovation ecosystem.[6]

Electron liquids

Grüner used spectroscopic methods to investigate the interactions between electrons in metals and alloys and their consequences for electronic and optical properties.[1]

Density waves and electron crystals

Grüner conducted extensive experimental research on density waves — a crystalline electronic  state in metals — using dc, ac, optical, and pulsed electric field techniques. He maintained a long-standing collaboration with Nobel laureate John Bardeen to test theoretical models of the phenomenon experimentally.[7]

Superconductors

Grüner's group explored the microwave and millimeter-wave properties of superconductors, contributing both to the fundamental understanding of superconductivity , and the application potential of superconductors.[8]

Nanotechnology and carbon nanonets

Grüner developed a novel class of materials called Nanonets — two-dimensional, interconnected random networks of nanowires: single-walled carbon nanotubes which serve as a foundational platform for flexible electronics. His group characterized the electronic and optical properties of these structures.[6]

Bioelectronics

Grüner's laboratory developed electronic structures integrating resistors, field-effect transistors, and electrochemical capacitors with biological environments such as blood serum and buffer solutions. His group pioneered the use of carbon nanotubes for real-time electronic detection of biological interactions. He also integrated living cells with active electronic platforms, laying groundwork for devices capable of monitoring and driving cellular functions, testing drug responses, and linking nerve cells for complex signaling systems.[1]

Technology development

Microwave and millimeter-wave spectroscopy

Grüner's group developed resonant structures, interference bridges, and phase-sensitive transmission measurement tools for characterizing materials at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. These instruments have been adopted by industry as standard characterization tools.[9]

Innovation and commercialization

Flexible and printed electronics

Grüner applied carbon nanonet thin films as flexible electrode scaffolds, enabling early-generation flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), solution-processed organic solar cells, and energy storage devices.[6]

Biosensors and detectors

His group developed electronic detection methods of the presence of biological species Notable demonstrations include the direct electronic detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in serum and the tracking of enzymatic starch degradation.[6]

Patents

Grüner is the inventor or co-inventor of more than two dozen issued patents in the areas of nanoscale materials, energy storage, energy generation, and biosensing.[10]

Entrepreneurship

Advisory and editorial roles

Grüner has served as a consultant and advisor to universities, startup companies, multinational corporations, and government and funding agencies in the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.[5]

He has held the following editorial positions:

Awards and honours

He served as an expert panelist and emerging technology lecturer at the World Economic Forum in Davos (2003, 2008)[14] and at the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh (2009).

Memberships

Selected publications

Books

  • Grüner, G. (1994). Density Waves in Solids. Frontiers in Physics. Vol. 89. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-201-62654-2 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help). [16]
  • Dressel, M.; Grüner, G. (2002). Electrodynamics of Solids: Optical Properties of Electrons in Matter. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59726-3 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help).[17]
  • Grüner, G. (1998). Millimeter and Submillimeter Wave Spectroscopy of Solids. Topics in Applied Physics. Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-62860-5 {{isbn}}: Check isbn value: checksum (help). [18]
  • L.P. Gorkov and G. Gruner: Charge Density Waves in Solids. Modern Problems in Condensed Matter Science. North Holland 25 (1989)[19]

Journal articles

  • Grüner, G. (2007). "Carbon Nanonets Spark New Electronics". Scientific American. 296 (5): 76–83. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0507-76. PMID 17500417.[20]
  • Grüner, G.; Zawadowski, A. (1974). "Magnetic Impurities in Non-magnetic Metals". Reports on Progress in Physics. 37: 1497–1583.[21]
  • Grüner, G.; Zettl, A.; Clark, W.G.; Bardeen, J. (1981). "Field and Frequency Dependence of Charge Density Wave Conduction in NbSe3". Physical Review B. 24: 724.[22]
  • Brown, S.; Grüner, G. (1994). "Charge and Spin Density Waves". Scientific American. 270: 50.[23]
  • Grüner, G. (1974). "Experimental Evidence for Many-body Effects in Dilute Alloys." Advances in Physics, 23, 941.[24]
  • Organic solar cells with carbon nanotube network electrodes MW Rowell, MA Topinka, MD McGehee, HJ Prall, G Dennler, NS Sariciftci, Applied Physics Letters 88 (23)[25]
  • Grüner, G. (2006). "Carbon Nanotube Transistors for Biosensing Applications". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 384: 322.[26]

Personal life

Grüner is married to Maria Grüner. After accepting his position at UCLA, the couple left Hungary and lost Hungarian citizenship; following Hungary's political transition of 1990, he became a dual Hungarian-American citizen. They have a daughter, Dora, and a son, Daniel.[1]

Grüner is an art collector. The Grüner Collection has been exhibited in several museums and is considered a significant holding of Hungarian neo-avant-garde art.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "George Grüner Biography" (PDF).
  2. ↑ "GEORGE GRUNER". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "George Grüner".
  4. 1 2 "KÜLHONI MAGYAR TUDÓSPORTRÉK" (PDF). real.mtak.hu/.
  5. 1 2 3 "George Grüner". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Gruner, George (2007). "Carbon Nanonets Spark New Electronics". Scientific American. 296 (5): 76–83. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0507-76. ISSN 0036-8733.
  7. ↑ Grüner, G. (1988). "The dynamics of charge-density waves, G Grüner, Reviews of modern physics 60 (4), 1129 1988". Reviews of Modern Physics. 60 (4): 1129–1181. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.60.1129.
  8. ↑ Grüner, George, ed. (1998). "Millimeter and Submillimeter Wave Spectroscopy of Solids". Topics in Applied Physics. doi:10.1007/BFb0103417.
  9. ↑ Grüner, G.; Zawadowski, A. (1972). "Semiphenomenological model for the resonances and charge neutrality in dilute magnetic alloys". Solid State Communications. 11 (5): 663–667. doi:10.1016/0038-1098(72)90483-8. ISSN 0038-1098.
  10. ↑ "George Gruner Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications – Justia Patents Search". patents.justia.com.
  11. ↑ "Unidym".
  12. ↑ "Editorial board, Translational Materials Research".
  13. ↑ "World Economic Forum – 2004 Tech Pioneers". web.worldbank.org.
  14. ↑ "List of Technology Pioneers 2008". World Economic Forum.
  15. ↑ "Honors and Award Winners". www.aps.org. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Gruner, George (1994). Density Waves In Solids. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7382-0304-1.
  17. ↑ Dressel, Martin; Grüner, George (17 January 2002). Electrodynamics of Solids: Optical Properties of Electrons in Matter. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59726-5.
  18. ↑ Grüner, George; Dahl, C. (11 September 1998). Millimeter and Submillimeter Wave Spectroscopy of Solids. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 978-3-540-62860-6.
  19. ↑ "Modern Problems in Condensed Matter Sciences", Modern Problems in Condensed Matter Sciences, Elsevier, pp. ii, 1989, retrieved 9 July 2026
  20. ↑ Gruner, George (2007). "Carbon nanonets spark new electronics". Scientific American. 296 (5): 76–83. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0507-76. ISSN 0036-8733. PMID 17500417.
  21. ↑ Gruner, G; Zawadowski, A (1 December 1974). "Magnetic impurities in non-magnetic metals". Reports on Progress in Physics. 37 (12): 1497–1583. doi:10.1088/0034-4885/37/12/001. ISSN 0034-4885.
  22. ↑ Grüner, G.; Zettl, A.; Clark, W. G.; Bardeen, John (15 December 1981). "Field and frequency dependence of charge-density-wave conduction in". Physical Review B. 24 (12): 7247–7257. doi:10.1103/physrevb.24.7247. ISSN 0163-1829.
  23. ↑ Brown, Stuart; Grüner, George (1994). "Charge and Spin Density Waves". Scientific American. 270 (4): 50–56. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0494-50. ISSN 0036-8733.
  24. ↑ Grüner, G. (1974). "Experimental evidence for many-body effects in dilute alloys". Advances in Physics. 23 (6): 941–1024. doi:10.1080/00018737400101451. ISSN 0001-8732.
  25. ↑ "Organic solar cells with carbon nanotube network electrodes". ui.adsabs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Gruner, G. (29 December 2005). "Carbon nanotube transistors for biosensing applications". Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 384 (2): 322–335. doi:10.1007/s00216-005-3400-4. ISSN 1618-2642.
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