physics

James Gimzewski

James Gimzewski is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand James Gimzewski rather than just read about it. In short: James Kazimierz Gimzewski is a Scottish physicist of Polish descent who pioneered research on electrical contacts with single atoms and molecules and light emission using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Education and early life Gimzewski was born in Glasgow to Polish World War II war veteran Edmund Gimzewski.

Key takeaways

James Gimzewski belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reference excerpt

Education and early life Gimzewski was born in Glasgow to Polish World War II war veteran Edmund Gimzewski. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1974 and PhD in 1977 from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Until February 2001, he was a group leader at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory, where he was involved in nanoscale science since 1983. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA, where he conducts research and advises graduate students in his PicoLab. He is also the faculty director of the Nano & Pico Characterization Archived 6 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine core lab at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA.

Research He pioneered research on electrical contact with single atoms and molecules, light emission and molecular imaging using STM. His accomplishments include the first STM-manipulation of molecules at room temperature, the realization of molecular abacus using buckyballs (C60), the discovery of single molecule rotors and the development of nanomechanical sensors based on nanotechnology, which explore the ultimate limits of sensitivity and measurement. Recently , he discovered a new method to synthesize carbon nanotubes more regular in diameter and length. His current interests within CNSI are in the Nanoarchitectonics of molecular systems and molecular and biomolecular machines, in particular those with quantum mechanical possibilities for information processing. Recently , he has undertaken research in biophysics, which he calls sonocytology. With UCLA graduate student Andrew Pelling, Gimzewski published sonocytology's debut report in the August 2004 issue of Science magazine. In the sonocytology studies, a Bioscope AFM (atomic force microscope) was modified to be able to detect the vibrations of the cell wall of a living cell. These vibrations, once amplified using computer software, created audible sound, and it was discovered that cancerous cells emit a slightly different sound than healthy cells do. Gimzewski and Pelling hope that sonocytology may someday have applications in early cancer detection and diagnosis.

Selected publications Joachim, C.; Gimzewski, J. K.; Aviram, A. (2000). "Electronics using hybrid-molecular and mono-molecular devices" (PDF). Nature. 408 (6812): 541–8. Bibcode:2000Natur.408..541J. doi:10.1038/35046000. PMID 11117734. S2CID 4397939. 2,195 citations (Web of Science, October 2014) Fritz, J. (2000). "Translating Biomolecular Recognition into Nanomechanics". Science. 288 (5464): 316–318. Bibcode:2000Sci...288..316F. doi:10.1126/science.288.5464.316. PMID 10764640. 1,095 citations (Web of Science, October 2014

Selected publications C. Joachim, J. K. Gimzewski & A. Aviram. "Electronics using hybrid-molecular and mono-molecular devices." Nature **408** (6812), 541–548 (2000). S. E. Cross, Y. S. Jin, J. Rao & J. K. Gimzewski. "Nanomechanical analysis of cells from cancer patients." In: Nano-enabled Medical Applications, 547–566 (2020). J. Fritz, M. K. Baller, H. P. Lang, H. Rothuizen, P. Vettiger, E. Meyer, H. J. Güntherodt, C. Gerber & J. K. Gimzewski. "Translating biomolecular recognition into nanomechanics." Science **288** (5464), 316–318 (2000). T. Ohno, T. Hasegawa, T. Tsuruoka, K. Terabe, J. K. Gimzewski & M. Aono. "Short-term plasticity and long-term potentiation mimicked in single inorganic synapses." Nature Materials **10** (8), 591–595 (2011). J. K. Gimzewski & C. Joachim. "Nanoscale science of single molecules using local probes." Science **283** (5408), 1683–1688 (1999). R. Berger, E. Delamarche, H. P. Lang, C. Gerber, J. K. Gimzewski, E. Meyer & H. J. Güntherodt. "Surface stress in the self-assembly of alkanethiols on gold." Science **276** (5321), 2021–2024 (1997). C. Joachim, J. K. Gimzewski, R. R. Schlittler & C. Chavy. "Electronic transparence of a single molecule." Physical Review Letters **74** (11), 2102–2105 (1995). J. K. Gimzewski, C. Gerber, E. Meyer & R. R. Schlittler. "Observation of a chemical reaction using a micromechanical sensor." Chemical Physics Letters **217** (5–6), 589–594 (1994). J. K. Gimzewski & R. Möller. "Transition from the tunneling regime to point contact studied using scanning tunneling microscopy." Physical Review B **36** (2), 1284–1287 (1987). T. A. Jung, R. R. Schlittler, J. K. Gimzewski, H. Tang & C. Joachim. "Controlled room-temperature positioning of individual molecules: molecular flexure and motion." Science **271** (5246), 181–184 (1996). F. M. Battiston, J. P. Ramseyer, H. P. Lang, M. K. Baller, C. Gerber, J. K. Gimzewski, E. Meyer & H. J. Güntherodt. "A chemical sensor based on a microfabricated cantilever array with simultaneous resonance-frequency and bending readout." Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical **77** (1–2), 122–131 (2001). R. Berndt, J. K. Gimzewski & P. Johansson. "Inelastic tunneling excitation of tip-induced plasmon modes on noble-metal surfaces." Physical Review Letters **67** (27), 3796–3799 (1991).

Awards and honours In 2001 Gimzewski became Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and in 2009 was elected Fellow of the Royal Society, the highest award in Britain for excellence in Science. He received the 1997 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology, the 1997 The Discover Award for Emerging Fields, the 1998 “Wired 25” Award from Wired magazine and the Institute of Physics 2001 Duddell Medal and Prize for his work in nanoscale science. He holds two IBM “Outstanding Innovation Awards”, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a Chartered Physicist. Gimzewski was a member of scientific boards of Carbon Nanotechnologies, Inc. and Veeco Instruments.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with James Gimzewski

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what James Gimzewski claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to James Gimzewski before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about James Gimzewski ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of James Gimzewski

In research: James Gimzewski appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses James Gimzewski in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: James Gimzewski is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Alumni of the University of Strathclyde, British fellows of the Royal Society, Fellows of the Institute of Physics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for James Gimzewski outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study James Gimzewski in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what James Gimzewski means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is James Gimzewski in simple terms?

James Kazimierz Gimzewski is a Scottish physicist of Polish descent who pioneered research on electrical contacts with single atoms and molecules and light emission using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Education and early life Gimzewski was born in Glasgow to Polish World War II war veteran E…

Why does James Gimzewski matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study James Gimzewski?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on James Gimzewski.