{"id":24672,"date":"2025-06-03T15:43:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T22:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=24672"},"modified":"2025-06-04T12:05:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T19:05:20","slug":"gerd-bergmann-physicist-obituary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/gerd-bergmann-physicist-obituary\/","title":{"rendered":"Gerd Bergmann, physicist who probed the wavy motions of electrons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/bergmann_obit_top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/bergmann_obit_top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/bergmann_obit_top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/bergmann_obit_top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Photo of Gerd Bergmann\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Gerd Bergmann spent nearly four decades conducting research and teaching students at USC Dornsife. (Photo: Irene Fertik. Courtesy of USC University Archives.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Gerd Bergmann, physicist who probed the wavy motions of electrons<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Bergmann was best known for discovering weak localization, a quantum effect that reveals how electrons move through thin, disordered materials \u2014 offering insight into coherence and symmetry-breaking in low-dimensional systems.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">June 3, 2025<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gerd Bergmann, Professor Emeritus of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/physics\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physics and Astronomy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, spent his career investigating materials in which electrons often misbehave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bergmann, who died in February at the age of 86, is best known for discovering the quantum phenomenon of \u201cweak localization,\u201d which occurs in very fine films like those used to build microchips. Imperfections in these slim materials, sometimes just a few atoms thick, can cause electrons to become trapped in loops rather than flow smoothly, he revealed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe was a dedicated mentor and valued colleague, known for his sharp intellect and passion for physics,\u201d wrote <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/stephan-haas\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stephan Haas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and professor of physics and astronomy. \u201cHe will be deeply missed by the scientific community, his colleagues and the many students he inspired.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Born in Germany in 1938, Bergmann excelled at mathematics as a teen. Later, as an undergraduate, he discovered an aptitude for physics and went on to complete a PhD at the University of G\u00f6ttigen in 1965. From 1970 to 1985, he was a researcher at the prestigious Forschungszentrum J\u00fclich research institute. He was also a professor at the University of Cologne from 1973 to 1985.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1984, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/0370157384901030\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">his review<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on weak localization published in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physics Reports<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> garnered Bergmann international attention in the physics world. Recruiting offers from numerous universities, including Columbia University and USC, followed. Southern California\u2019s sunny climate, where he could indulge his hobbies of sailing and swimming, ultimately won him over. He joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 1986 and remained an active researcher and teacher at USC for nearly four decades.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with his investigation of thin films, Bergmann researched electron behavior within metals. In a series of experiments published in the early 2000s, he revealed that cesium, a soft, silvery, alkali metal often thought of as \u201csimple,\u201d could dramatically amplify the magnetism of iron and cobalt atoms deposited on its surface. These effects suggested that cesium might hold a key to rethinking how electrons interact in metals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later in his career, he focused on the theoretical study of the Kondo Cloud, a quantum phenomenon where a tiny magnetic impurity in a material is screened by surrounding electrons. Using mathematical models he developed, Bergmann probed how far this \u201ccloud\u201d of electrons extends around the impurity.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_24674\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24674\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24674\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/instoryb-416x550.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Gerd Bergmann standing.\" width=\"300\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/instoryb-416x550.jpg 416w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/instoryb-774x1024.jpg 774w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/instoryb-768x1016.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/06\/instoryb.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24674\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Outside of the lab and classroom, Bergmann enjoyed swimming, sailing and formal dancing. (Photo: Courtesy Grace Lu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe was one of the very few physicists I\u2019ve known who could do both theory and experiments,\u201d says<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/grace-lu\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grace Lu<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, professor of physics and astronomy, electrical engineering and material science at USC Dornsife and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USC Viterbi School of Engineering<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The two first met in 2000. Bergmann and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/dappen\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Werner D<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00e4<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ppen<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy and then department chair, picked Lu up from the airport when she arrived to give a seminar at USC before joining the university. It was the sort of above-and-beyond gesture that exemplified his devotion to his field and his colleagues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bergmann, a Fellow of the American Physical Society and recipient of the Physics Prize of the Academy of G\u00f6ttingen, would correct others on physics concepts, says Lu. \u201cBut, he wasn\u2019t trying to show off; he just wanted to make sure that others understood.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For his undergraduate courses, Bergmann hand wrote all of his lecture notes and then rewrote them each semester. He felt it was the best way to retain the material, says Lu, who inherited those many years of notes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For alumnus Douglas Garrett, Bergmann was instrumental in reshaping the course of his career. A year after graduating from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/music.usc.edu\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USC Thornton School of Music<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with a bachelor\u2019s degree in music composition, Garrett was feeling a bit adrift while working at Tower Records in Hollywood. Hunting for a better career plan, Garrett remembered how much he\u2019d enjoyed a physics class he\u2019d taken with Bergmann in order to satisfy a science requirement for his major.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was that student that went to every office hour with question after question, and I think he appreciated that,\u201d says Garrett. \u201cThis is likely why, when I randomly called him a year later and told him I was considering studying physics, he immediately offered me a job in his lab. This put me on a path that I\u2019m still on 30 years later. \u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garrett completed a second bachelor\u2019s degree in physics in 1999, followed by a PhD in 2008, both from USC Dornsife. He\u2019s now vice-president of research and development at iSpotTv, where he leads AI initiatives. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Bergmann was incredibly rigorous but deeply creative at the same time. I will miss our discussions that we used to have daily, even hourly,\u201d he says. \u201cHe changed my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/cosmic-measurements-of-gravity-support-dark-matter\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Scientists test a fundamental rule of gravity on cosmic scales \u2014 and it holds up<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n          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localization<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":24673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[125,216],"class_list":["post-24672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-obituary","tag-physics-and-astronomy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gerd Bergmann, physicist who probed the wavy motions of electrons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USC Dornsife quantum physicist advanced understanding of how electrons move through thin, disordered materials\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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