MRI-R2: Acquisition of Electron Beam Writer for Southern California Recovery Investment in Nanotechnology (SCRIN)

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)" Abstract The objective of this research is to study fundamental electronic, photonic, chemical, and bio-logical behaviors of nanoscale structures relevant to future applications in next generation storage, energy harvesting, communications and computing, quantum communication and information proc-essing, superconductivity, and biomedical and biochemical sensing. The approach is to utilize nano-scale e-beam lithography in conjunction with other nanomanufacturing technologies to fabricate and characterize nanometer scale metamaterials, devices, and subsystems in which these new behaviors are expected to manifest themselves most clearly and can be exploited. Intellectual merit: The proposed acquisition will enable investigation of smaller structures, finer features, and larger patterns than can be experimentally accessed today. Electronic and spin dif-fusion, a variety of magnetic behaviors, structural and chemical changes, superconducting decoher-ence, and many other phenomena that occur at nanometric length scales in common materials will be explored. Research projects are also planned in the areas of nanophotonics, metamaterials, quantum optics, quantum information, and nanomedicine. Broader Impact: The creation of wealth through advances in nanoscale science and technol-ogy is at the heart of the 21st century economy. The impacts span multiple technical fields, including information systems, health care, energy, pollution monitoring, and chemical threat and explosive detection for homeland security applications. The UCSD Nano3 facility is serving a wide area of Southern California, and the proposed tool will benefit users throughout this geographic area. The project will also play a significant role in promoting education and development of human resources in science and engineering at the graduate and undergraduate levels, diversity and outreach.