Past Nano@Tech News
2007
December 11, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Prof. Sankar Nair, a professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering here at Georgia Tech, gave a presentation entitled "Nanoscopic Metal Oxide Objects via Controlled Creation and Rearrangement of Amorphous Nanoparticles."
Abstract:
Metal oxide materials offer a vast range of tunable physical and chemical properties, accessible by low-temperature liquid-phase chemistry. In the form of nanoscopic objects, these materials have a variety of potential applications in future nanoscale devices and nanostructured assemblies. Our research over the last 3 years at Georgia Tech has addressed several fundamental questions pertaining to the synthesis of metal oxide nano-objects with complex structure and controllable dimensions. The ultimate objective is to develop a generalizable set of "design rules" to engineer the "shape and size", "curvature", chemical composition, and ordered internal structure of ultra-small nanoscopic objects. In this talk, he described insights into the kinetic and thermodynamic principles underlying the formation of complex nano-objects such as single-walled metal oxide nanotubes whose lengths can be tuned from ultra-short (20 nm) to about 100 nm and whose diameters can be tuned with Angstrom-level precision through manipulation of interatomic potential energies. A proposal is made for a mechanistic paradigm that we refer to as "amorphous nanoparticle condensation followed by internal rearrangement", and some of its broader technological implications were discussed.
November 13, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Prof. Bruno Frazier, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering here at Georgia Tech, gave a presentation entitled " Analyzing Biological Cells with Micro/ Nano Engineered Systems."
October 23, 2007
Nano@Tech Information Seminar: Phase O: Nanotechnology Research Center
The 190,000 sq. ft. Marcus Nanotechnology Building (MNB) under construction on the corner of Atlantic Drive and Ferst Drive will be part of the Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Research Center (NRC). When the MNB
opens in the fall of 2008, it will be the premier nanotechnology research facility in the Southeastern US, unsurpassed nationally. The MNB is new growth to the facilities already available to GT investigators in the Microelectronics Research Center (MiRC), so in essence, the Nanotechnology Research Center is already in place and ready to serve the research needs of the entire GT researcher community. During the seminar Bob Rose (Assitant Director of Operations at the MiRC) gave a presentation regarding the current status of the phase O construction and the projected opening of the building. Gary Spinner, who is in charge of the MiRC cleanroom, talked about the current processes and toolsets available to meet the needs of users who use the MiRC cleanroom. After the formal presentations and a question and answer session there were three breakout sessions: Gary Spinner gave a tour of the cleanroom, Joel Pikarsky gave a demonstration of tools (including the SEM), and Bob Rose was available to give more information on the new Bio Nano Cleanroom that will be in the MNB.
October 11, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Gopal Rao, the Director of Fab/Sort Managing Research at Intel gave a presentation entitled "Synthesis of Operational Excellence and Research in High-Volume Manufacturing."
October 9, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Dr. Alexei Marchenkov, a professor in the School of Physics here at Georgia Tech, gave a presentation entitled "Properties and Technical Applications in Superconducting Nanowire Devices."
Abstract:
The generation of high-frequency current oscillations when a constant voltage is applied across an insulating tunnel gap separating two superconductors was one of the fundamental theoretical predictions made by Brian Josephson, which earned him a share of the 1973 Nobel Prize in physics. This discovery provided the foundation for the most sensitive detectors of electromagnetic radiation and magnetic fields, as well as superconducting quantum computing bits. These technologies have numerous practical applications in various fields, including geology, biomedical diagnostics, and nanoscale characterization. In a synergetic study, which involved both measurements and first-principles simulations, we discovered that the Josephson current oscillations can excite atomic-scale mechanical resonances in metallic nanowires [1,2]. These resonances were observed in the technologically rich, but relatively unexplored, terahertz portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (“terahertz gap”). I will outline how chemically functionalized superconducting nanowires can be used in innovative sensing technologies that hold enormous potential in the chemical and biological material identification and characterization fields.
[1] A. Marchenkov, Z. Dai, B. Donehoo, R. N. Barnett, and U. Landman, Nature Nanotechnology 2, 481 (2007).
[2] A. Marchenkov, Z. Dai, C. Zhang, R. N. Barnett, and U. Landman, Phys.Rev.Lett. 98 (2007) 046802.
September 27, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Dr. David Citrin, a professor of Optics and Photonics and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, gave a presentation entitled "Nanoplasmic Waveguides: Optical Interconnects, Lasers, and Near-Field Probes."
September 11, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Dr. Dennis Hess gave a presentation on his work with superhydrophobic surfaces.
August 14, 2007
Nano@Tech Meeting
Dr. Bernard Kippelen gave a presentation entitled "The Dawn of Optoelectronics." He discussed recent advances in organic molecules and polymers for organic optoelectronics. Additionally he reviewed the physical processes responsible for charge transport, light emission, and photoconductivity in conjugated organic materials with an emphasis on how structure at the nanoscale relates to various physical properties. He also mentioned the latest developments in examples of applications, including organic electroluminescent devices for displays, photovoltaic cells for portable power, and organic field-effect transistors for low-cost large-area circuits.