| Academic Year: | 2021/2 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Physics |
| Credits: | 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 120 |
| Level: | Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7) |
| Period: |
- Semester 2
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| Assessment Summary: | EX 100% |
| Assessment Detail: | |
| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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| Requisites: |
Before taking this module you must ( take PH20017 OR take PH20063 ) AND ( take PH30030 OR take PH30043 )
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| Aims: | The aims of this unit are to outline properties of materials at the nanoscale, to describe methods for the fabrication, visualisation and probing of nanostructures, to introduce topical low-dimensional nanomaterials and novel physical concepts related to them, and to give some examples of their possible applications.
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| Learning Outcomes: | After taking this unit the student should be able to:
- demonstrate a thorough understanding of the impact of the nanoscale on the electronic structure, charge-transport and magnetic properties of materials;
- explain the physical properties of low dimensional (two, one- and zero-dimensional) systems;
- demonstrate an understanding of the atomic scale connectivity in glassy materials;
- describe principles of probing at the nanoscale and give examples of physical phenomena that can be accessed;
- explain representative properties and novel concepts in topical low-dimensional materials, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, transition metal dichalcogenides, and silicene.
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| Skills: | Numeracy T/F A, Problem Solving T/F A.
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| Content: | Nanoscience and nanotechnology - what are they and how did they arise?
- Scaling laws from the macroscale to the nanoscale. Fabrication and growth of nanoscale systems: chemistry meets physics. Molecular systems (1 hour).
- Brief introduction to (conventional) electronic devices (capacitors, light-emitting diodes, solar cells and transistors). Molecular electronics and charge transport in molecular systems, from micro to nano. (3 hours)
- Electronic structure of 2D, 1D and 0-D systems: Electronic transport: conductance quantisation, Landauer-Büttiker formalism, Coulomb blockade, single-electron transistor. Effects of magnetic field and low temperature. (4 hours)
- The glassy state, glass transition, entropy crisis, Kautzmann theorem, viscosity in glass forming liquids, rigidity, constraint counting theory (3 hours)
Probing and manipulation at the nanoscale - The Lab on a Tip (4 hours):
- Principles of Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM): Imaging & spectroscopy, manipulation of atoms and molecules. Relationship to electronic structure. Spin-related phenomena. Inelastic tunnelling.
- Principles of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): Forces at the nanoscale and AFM modes. Application in material/life sciences. (e.g. chemical, electrical, magnetic properties, self-assembly). Atomically-resolved imaging and probing (e.g. conformation of molecules on surfaces; interaction of two-dimensional materials with substrates).
Quantum phenomena at the atomic scale (1 hour):
- Electron scattering & confinement: Quantum Corrals; Quantum Interference. Molecular "graphene": designer Fermions.
Low-dimensional nanomaterials (6 hours):
- Carbon-based nanomaterials: Bonding and carbon allotropes. Graphene (Dirac cones and linear energy bands; From graphene to graphite; Klein tunnelling; Pseudospin; Engineering electronic properties: graphene in an external potential). Confinement effects: graphene nanoribbons and carbon nanotubes.
- Other (non-carbon) 2D nanomaterials: Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (types, transition from bulk to monolayer, basic properties). Silicene: a graphene-like monolayer of silicon. Comparison with graphene.
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| Programme availability: |
PH40085 is Compulsory on the following programmes:
Programmes in Natural Sciences
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) (Year 4)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 5)
PH40085 is Optional on the following programmes:
Department of Physics
- USPH-AFM02 : MPhys(Hons) Physics (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Research placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AAM03 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AAM12 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- USPH-AKM03 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional Placement (Year 5)
- USPH-AKM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 5)
- USPH-AFM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Research placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AAM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AAM14 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- USPH-AKM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional Placement (Year 5)
- USPH-AKM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 5)
- USPH-AAM15 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 5)
- USPH-AAM13 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 5)
- USXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 4)
- USXX-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- USXX-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 5)
Programmes in Natural Sciences
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) (Year 4)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 5)
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) (Year 4)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 5)
- UXXX-AFM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) (Year 4)
- UXXX-AAM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 5)
- UXXX-AKM02 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 5)
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