Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at a molecular or atomic scale. Nanotechnology offers significant improvements to many industrial sectors such as information technology, energy, environmental science, medicine, homeland security, food safety, and transportation.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Engineering have the expertise and facilities to continually enhance nanotechnology techniques and use them to meet the needs of industrial partners.

Expertise in physics and astronomy

Leicester's Condensed Matter Physics group studies the behaviour of complex materials at the nano-scale.

We are currently investigating novel devices in the fields of molecular and opto-electronics, quantum information theory and magnetic sensing. The group has strong partnerships with companies involved in the nano-fabrication of electronic devices, high-density magnetic recording and targeted medical therapeutics.

Our specific areas of expertise are:

• Cluster assembled materials - novel magnetic materials assembled from nanoclusters
• Quantum theory of semiconductor nanostructures - calculation of the electronic properties of nanostructures
• Soft condensed matter - systems at the interface of physics and biology

Expertise in engineering

The Department of Engineering is involved in the fabrication of aluminium-based nanocomposites for the automotive and aerospace industries with a novel processing technique - the ultrasonic dispersion of nanoparticles. We are also investigating their mechanical properties.