The 1973 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Ivar Giæver for his experimental discoveries regarding tunneling phenomena in superconductors. Born in Bergen, Norway, in 1929, he developed a career that bridged engineering, solid-state physics, and biophysics. His work provided critical validation for the BCS theory of superconductivity, solidifying his role within the global scientific community during the twentieth century.
Academic Foundation and Early Career
Giæver attended the Hamar Cathedral School before enrolling at the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1948. He earned an M.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering in 1952. After serving in the Norwegian Army, he worked at the Norwegian Patent Office. In 1954, he moved to Canada to participate in the Advanced Engineering Program at Canadian General Electric, later relocating to the United States in 1956. He joined the General Electric Research Laboratory in 1958 and pursued doctoral studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, completing a thesis on the conductivity and Hall effect in binary alloys in 1964.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Superconductivity Research
Between 1958 and 1969, Giæver investigated thin films and tunneling. Building on Leo Esaki's 1957 work regarding semiconductors, Giæver demonstrated that tunneling occurred in superconductors. By using a metal-oxide-metal junction, he confirmed the existence of an energy gap, a core prediction of the BCS theory. This experimental evidence proved essential for the subsequent prediction of the Josephson effect by Brian Josephson. These contributions earned Giæver, Esaki, and Josephson the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Transition to Biophysics
Following his Guggenheim Fellowship at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, in 1969, Giæver shifted his focus to biophysics and tissue culture. He returned to the United States in 1970 to continue this work. In 1988, he transitioned from General Electric to serve as an Institute Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, while simultaneously holding a professorship at the University of Oslo. In 1993, he founded the enterprise Applied BioPhysics, Inc.
Professional Engagement and Later Life
Giæver held membership in numerous organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters. He maintained an interest in public scientific discourse, serving as an advisor to the Heartland Institute. He was a naturalized U.S. citizen and identified as an atheist. He died in Schenectady on June 20, 2025, at the age of 96, and was interred at Hoff Church in Østre Toten, Norway.
Fast facts
- Born: 1929, Bergen, Norway
- Died: 2025, Schenectady, New York
- Nobel Prize in Physics: 1973
- Citizenship: Norway and United States
- Education: Norwegian Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Key Field: Solid-state physics
- Company founded: Applied BioPhysics, Inc.
- Religious belief: Atheism
Questions readers ask
What was Ivar Giæver's primary scientific contribution?
He demonstrated electron tunneling in superconductors, which provided experimental validation for the BCS theory of superconductivity.
Where did Ivar Giæver spend his research career?
He spent significant periods at the General Electric Research Laboratory and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Physics — 1973
- Notable work: solid-state physics
- Held posts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Educated at Clare Hall, Hamar Cathedral School and Norwegian Institute of Technology
- Fields of research: applied mathematics, biophysics, immunology and physics
