www.physics.utah.eduwww.astro.utah.edu

Used with permission, Nano Institute of Utahwww.nano.utah.edu

Titanium Orthopedic Implant

Needle Array

Black Bread Mold

Ductile Iron

Human Hair Herpes Simplex Virus

Dept of Physics & AstronomyUniversity of Utah

201 James Fletcher Bldg.115 South 1400 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0830(801) 581-6901

www.physics.utah.eduwww.astro.utah.edu

NanoscienceElectron Microscope Images

Working SmallThinking Big

The Nano InstituteThe Nano Institute of Utah provides an organization wherein scientists, engineers and clinicians from across the University, the State and elsewhere work together to attain global recognition by conquering interdisciplinary challenges in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The Institute enables Utah re-searchers from disciplines such as chemistry, phys-ics, biology, engineering, medicine, and pharmacy to create synergistic alliances to drive higher levels of collaborative research, education and commer-cialization.

The Future of Nanoscience

Nanotechnology is al-ready a reality in the world around us. A few nanote-chonolgical developments that are in common use to-day include water-resistant sunscreen, wrinkle-free or stain-repellent clothing, and ski wax. Nanocom-posites are being used to simultaneously increase the strength and decrease the weight of materials used in manufacturing car parts and golf clubs. Quantum-dot nanocrys-tals emit light, like LEDs, but at various colors, and nanocrystals can also form to make antibacterial coatings and increase the longevity of metals. But most significant impacts of nanotechnology are yet to come, and are closer to being realized than you might think.

To learn more about Nanoscience on campus, visit:

www.physics.utah.edu/laserhttp://nanoinstitute.utah.edu

www.physics.utah.eduwww.astro.utah.edu

This University of Utah logo is smaller than the width of an average human hair at less than 3/1000ths of an inch.

Physics & Astronomy Nano Czar, Matt DeLong next to the Scan-ning Electron Microscope.

NanoscienceNanoscience and nanotechnology are among the high-est national priorities for research and development. Nanoscience takes advantage of phenomena that arise at the smallest level to enhance functionality of com-plex materials.

The prefix “nano-” means “dwarf” in the original Greek. As a term used in science and technology, “nano” refers to studies and implementations dealing with matter (atoms and molecules) on an extremely tiny scale. A nanometer (nm) is equal to one billionth of a meter. (To put it in perspective, the period at the end of this sentence is about 500,000 nm in diameter.) The focus of nanotechnology is the design and creation of useful devices with dimensions between 1 and 100 nm. Although we currently have technological devices in operation all around us on a microscale (in computers, etc.), this is nothing particularly novel because their de-sign and function mimics that of macroscale structures. But on an atomic/molecular level, matter exhibits a very different set of characteristics, and harnessing the properties thereof for human benefit opens an entirely new realm of possibility.

The Department of Physics & Astronomy at the Univer-sity of Utah is involved in uncovering basic principles of nanoscale optoelectronic phenomena from insulators to super conductors, organic polymers, & biological molecules.

Departmental nanoscience is interdisciplinary with strong ties to graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry, & Engineering at the University of Utah, as well as the State USTAR initiative.

Single Molecule Spectroscopy

Unravel light-harvesting and energy focusing process-es in single multi-chromophoric polymers; develop novel sensing and analytical techniques at the ultimate chemical limit.

Energy & ChargeSpatially & temporally resolved measurements of energy & charge transfer between individual quantum dots and carbon nanotubes with pos-sible applications to photovoltaic devices.

Temperature Transport Properties

At low temperature, some specially designed low-dimensional nanostructures behave as a single quantum system. We use very sensitive electron transport and noise measurements to study these effects in superconducting and magnetic nanowires, magnetic nanoparticles and molecules.

Conductivity in Nanoscale Systems

Study the novel aspects of low-temperature electrical conductivity in low dimensional nanostructures, such as quantum wires, includ-ing superconductivity.

Nano Optics & Molecular Biophysics

Development of nanometer-resolution optical microscopy to es-tablish relation between the nanoscale architecture and function of molecular networks in biological membranes.

Organic SemiconductorsIdentify the relation between the molecular structure and physi-cal properties of plastic electronic materials; devise fundamental pathways to improve these properties, including the control and exploitation of the spin degree of freedom.

Non-linear Optical MicroscopyDevelop new spectroscopic techniques for complex disordered media such as biological compounds, including the use of metal nanoparticles to enhance and control the light-matter interac-tion.

Properties of Quantum DotsRelate the optical properties of individual quantum dots to inter-nal parameters such as shape and external parameters such as pressure and the local dielectric environment.