A miniature journey into novel nanotechnologies

We are always told that nanotechnology will allow us to do more with less. In fact we may also be able to do it more quickly. However the human eye is not well suited to observing quickly moving objects. For example, we are unable to see how a hummingbird moves its wings, and the hummingbird is not particularly small. I will discuss some of the new ways that we have found to observe the processes that occur in the micro and nanoscale world.

Electronics is all around us. Since 1904, when Fleming invented the first thermionic valve, this science has shape the technological development of humankind. However, the miniaturisation of our technology has reached the limit of where electronics by itself can go. If we want to go smaller and more efficient, we have to think in Spintronics. By controlling an intrinsic property of the electrons, the spin, we can go above and beyond current electronics. This science is the key to the development of the next century technology: from ultra-high-density data storage to quantum computing.

As a pillar of science fiction, nanotechnology is often deployed for ludicrous plot resolutions (the conclusion of the Doctor Who episode “The Empty Child” springs to mind). However, modern technology has become tiny. The computer chip behind the screen you are reading this from is likely to be pretty small. In fact, the smallest computer chip is 7 nanometres in size - that’s 1/10,000th of a human hair! So, what is real nanotechnology and what can it be used for?