Madingley Hall
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB23 8AQ
UK
With the forefront of miniaturisation now at the scale of just a few atoms, we can be certain that there will be no slowing of the pace of technological change. Structured to appeal to all, this course will explore how we are able to engineer materials on the nanoscale, why we might want to do so, and what impact we can expect these devices to have on our lives.
The course starts by taking an overview of nanotechnology. What do we mean by nanostructures, how small are they, and where might we expect to find them? We will find out why nanostructures differ from bulk materials, and how their properties are inextricably linked to their size, geometry and crystalline structure. We will carry out some short experimental demonstrations using readily available, natural nanomaterials which illustrate the close relationship between a material’s structure and its properties, and will also learn more about how technological nanomaterials are made. We will find out about a variety of techniques for investigating nanostructures in the laboratory, and look at some of the applications of embedded nanostructures in LEDs, quantum well lasers and quantum dots.
Both the risks and the benefits of nanomaterials have been widely highlighted by the media, and at the end of the course we will look for some general principles which can help to guide us in forming our own opinions in this area.
See the website for full details.
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