Hermann Grimmeiss came to Lund in 1966 from Philips in Aachen and Eindhoven, where he had established a successful research career in semiconductor physics. The year before, he had been appointed the first Professor of Solid State Physics at the Department of Physics, a position he held until his retirement in 1996. His arrival marked the establishment of a new research field in Lund, an endeavour that went on to have great and lasting significance.
At Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Physics, Hermann Grimmeiss built up the Division of Solid State Physics (FTF), which initially consisted of only four people. During his thirty years as Head of Division, the activities expanded significantly, both in scale and in scientific impact. The research early on focused on electrical and photoelectrical studies of defects in semiconductor materials, knowledge that is fundamental to the development of modern electronics.
Hermann Grimmeiss was a dedicated research leader and teacher. He designed new courses in solid state physics and supervised a large number of doctoral students. His first doctoral student, Bo Monemar, as well as later generations of researchers, went on to play important roles in the development of semiconductor and nanophysics, both in Lund and internationally. Over time, FTF became an internationally recognised research environment, not least through recurring international conferences such as the Lund International Conference on Deep-Level Impurities in Semiconductors.
With great foresight, Hermann Grimmeiss recognised as early as the 1970s the need for major investments in microelectronics. His determined efforts contributed to the construction of new research facilities. In 1984, the Berzelius Laboratory was inaugurated in the so-called Q wing at the department. These facilities later played a key role in the development of nanophysics and NanoLund.
In recognition of his scientific achievements, Hermann Grimmeiss was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in 1977 and of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1978. In 1980, he was also elected a foreign member of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, and in 1989 he became a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Even after his retirement, he remained a visible and highly valued part of the department, with his own office and a continued strong commitment to research, teaching and research policy.
Hermann Grimmeiss’s importance to Lund University can hardly be overstated. His work laid the foundation for a research environment that today comprises hundreds of researchers and doctoral students and forms the very heart of Lund’s efforts in semiconductor and nanoscience. Many generations of students, doctoral candidates and colleagues remember him as a knowledgeable, dedicated and visionary researcher, and as a person who showed great care for both the subject and the people around him. As recently as March this year, he gave a lecture to students on the MSc programme in Engineering Nanoscience.
The Department of Physics remembers Hermann Grimmeiss with deep respect and gratitude. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.
Dan Hessman, Head of the Division of Solid State Physics
Else Lytken, Head of the Department of Physics.