Bernard Dieny’s career

From an early age, Bernard Dieny stood out for his insatiable curiosity for science. He recalls his first experiments with his brother, working on an electric train set—already exploring the rigour of circuitry and the intricacies of electricity. What began as childhood play quickly turned into a vocation.

Naturally, he pursued a path in scientific research by enrolling at the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan. There, he encountered Albert Fert, future Nobel Prize laureate in Physics (2007) for the discovery of GMR, and Alain Aspect, also a future Nobel Prize winner. Their inspiring lectures and contagious enthusiasm for research deeply shaped his approach to physics.

Bernard Dieny went on to complete a PhD with a strong fundamental focus at the Institut Néel in Grenoble, dedicated to the magnetism of amorphous systems—at the intersection of magnetism and the statistical physics of disordered systems. This highly positive three-year research experience, combined with the encouragement of his thesis supervisor, confirmed his desire to pursue a career in research.

In the United States: the IBM adventure and spin valves

He then seized the opportunity to move to the United States, joining the IBM Research Center in Almaden shortly after the groundbreaking discovery of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) by Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg—an achievement that would later earn them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2007.

At the time, IBM was relying on this breakthrough to improve hard disk read heads. Bernard Dieny was given a highly ambitious mission: to identify materials capable of producing a GMR effect under magnetic fields a thousand times weaker than those initially observed. Within a few months, he developed the first “spin valves”—innovative structures made of magnetic and non-magnetic layers only a few atomic planes thick, each serving a specific function.

This major advance paved the way for the rise of spintronics and its integration into mainstream consumer technologies.

SPINTEC: creating a centre of excellence in France

Looking back, Bernard Dieny observed that the technological revolution sparked by the discovery of giant magnetoresistance had benefited countries like the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore far more than those of the original discoverers. From this observation came a clear ambition: to establish in France a laboratory entirely dedicated to spintronics—one that would span the full spectrum from fundamental research to industrial innovation.

This ambition became reality in 2002, with the support of CEA, CNRS, and Université Grenoble Alpes. Together with Jean-Pierre Nozières, Bernard Dieny co-founded SPINTEC, a research laboratory that is now recognized as a leading international player in this strategic field.

Current challenges in research

When asked by the SPIN research program about his views on today’s research landscape, Bernard Dieny offers a lucid reflection on contemporary challenges.

“Things are moving too fast for society to keep up.”

He expresses concern over the societal impacts of accelerating digital technologies—social media, then artificial intelligence—particularly in terms of misinformation, social polarization, and the mental health of younger generations. The pace of innovation often exceeds society’s ability to adapt and make responsible use of new technologies.

Developing low-power devices, such as spintronic components, is commendable in itself. However, this often leads to a rebound effect: new uses are quickly adopted and heavily promoted, ultimately increasing overall energy consumption. In the face of this trend, Bernard highlights the lack of collective awareness around environmental stakes, and the role scientists must play in addressing it:

“Our international conferences bring together researchers and engineers from all over the world. We should dedicate part of these events to discussing sustainable development challenges, to raise awareness and align levels of understanding on a global scale. Since we already work internationally, we have a unique opportunity to go beyond individual efforts and take broader, coordinated action.”

Spintronics: A Path Toward Sustainable Electronics

Spintronics, a technology that manipulates the spin of electrons to significantly reduce energy consumption, offers a promising future for electronics.

“I am confident that spintronics will become increasingly adopted within the microelectronics community.”

However, Bernard Dieny acknowledges that significant efforts are still needed to promote the broader adoption of spintronic technologies in the semiconductor industry. He emphasizes the importance of building trust with manufacturers—particularly by demonstrating that magnetic fields used in spintronic chips are harmless—and developing solutions tailored to their specific needs. For this, continuous dialogue with industry is essential.

Another key driver for spintronics lies in education. Bernard points to a lack of training in magnetism and spintronics in today’s microelectronics curricula. It is vital, he says, that future engineers become familiar with these fields in order to approach them with confidence and without hesitation.

Spintronics research also benefits from a major asset: solid physical models that reliably predict the behavior of components. This predictability allows for more efficient simulation, optimization, and acceleration of device development.

Although some hurdles remain—such as raising the technology readiness level (TRL)—momentum is building. More and more startups are entering the field, including Nellow and Golana Computing. Encouraging signs are also emerging at the European level: in Germany, for example, spintronic sensors are already being integrated into the automotive sector.

Biology and magnetism: A new frontier

Today, Bernard Dieny is pursuing research at the intersection of magnetism and biology, with promising applications in healthcare. He works with magnetic nanoparticles dispersed among cells, applying external magnetic fields to exert precise, localized mechanical stress. This technique can, for instance, trigger the death of pancreatic cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.

This emerging field of magneto-mechanobiology may open new therapeutic pathways for treating cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.

A life of science: impact and recognition

Beyond his scientific insights and his commitment to responsible research, Bernard Dieny has left a lasting mark on the global scientific community. A few key figures illustrate the scope of his contributions:

> Over 500 scientific publications
> 20 book chapters in specialized volumes
> 78 patents filed
> An h-index of 68, reflecting the academic impact of his work
> Supervision of more than 50 PhD students and 80 postdoctoral researchers
> Recipient of two ERC Advanced Grants
> And three ERC Proof of Concept grants

His career is a blend of scientific excellence, educational engagement, and technological innovation—demonstrating a lifelong dedication to physics and its real-world applications.

Looking ahead

When asked what advice he would give to himself ten years ago, Bernard Dieny answers without hesitation: he would place even greater emphasis on sustainability. For him, no matter how advanced technology becomes, we must never lose sight of the need to preserve the planet.

---

The SPIN research program wishes to express its deep gratitude to Bernard Dieny for the richness of his teachings, the significance of his research, and the quality of the guidance he provides every day to advance the scientific community. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to him for this well-deserved and distinguished recognition.

Relive the ceremony through the images below, captured by Pierre Jayet.