Background

The RHUL nanotechnology group has expertise in all aspects of the fabrication and measurement of nanostructures. It has experience in providing excellent state-of-the-art processing facilities (electron-beam lithography, high and ultra-high vacuum equipment in clean room environment) and has recently established a new Ultra Low Temperature measurement facility.

The group has developed techniques to fabricate reliably small features in increasingly complex materials (principally metals, but also semiconductors) in order to explore quantum effects at submicron length scales. Key notable strengths of the group are:

• hybrid normal superconductor nanostructures
• quantum dynamics of a new generation of quantum metallic nanostructures
• electromagnetic radiation using nanoscale devices
• development of an electron thermometer
• ferromagnetic/superconducting nanostructures using half-band ferromagnets
• research on diamond and diamond films

The group has active collaborations with Chalmers University of Technology (Claeson), giving access to the facilities of the Swedish National Nanometer Laboratory; with the Quantum Electron Kinetics Laboratory, Chernogolovka; and with NTT, Japan. Strong links have also been established with the theoretical group at Lancaster University (Lambert).

Objectives and planned activities

Our key aims within the WestFocus Materials and Manufacturing (M&M) activity is to develop a scanning X-ray microscope for hard X-rays in order to provide a facility that has the potential to enhance X-ray fabrication techniques and the X-ray analysis methods to analyse structures embedded within specimens which are beyond the reach of electron microscopical methods. The technique will be capable of examination of nanostructures, the determination of structures of small crystals and studies of biological and mineralogical specimens.

There will be close interaction with other members of M&M to develop collaborative activities: for example, the technique would be valuable as a non-destructive tool for characterization work being done at Kingston by Prof Rankin on minerals, petroleum exploration, gemstones and micro analysis. It would contribute to the work being done by Prof Foot at Kingston by providing a technique to help their group better understand electronic properties of organic materials and help develop ways of modifying structures to improve conductivity.

Within the Brunel Wolfson Centre, work is being done to develop processing techniques to control the structure of the material in order to develop properties for better performance. We will also aim to work closely with these groups through exchange of staff and materials. There will also be plans to run seminars and workshops for the M&M group, as well as external stake holders on nanostructure characterization techniques and promote the use of this facility to companies working in the fabrication and characterization of nanotechnology.