Dieter Mergel studied physics in Göttingen, obtained his doctorate at the Technical University of Clausthal in the field of solid-state physics and worked 11 years in the Philips Research Laboratories Hamburg / Aachen on automatic speech recognition and optical data storage. Since 1993 he is Professor of Technical Physics at the University of Duisburg-Essen. His professional activities include research in the field of solid-state layers and lectures for students in teaching and medical professions.