Cancer Cures & Quantum Leaps

They’re too tiny to be seen under a microscope, but they have a thousand remarkable applications. From editing your cells to building miniature molecular computers, Nanoparticles are used by scientists in almost all technological fields. Today, Nanoparticles are revolutionising cancer therapy by transporting chemotherapy drugs straight to sick cells and eliminating harmful side effects. But how do we use Nanoparticles for treating diseases? And what makes them so versatile and unique?

Metals conduct electricity, and insulators don't. Recently discovered topological materials can do both: with insulating interiors but conducting edges, they can conduct electricity perfectly, without resistance. Because of these properties, they have the potential to be used in next generation quantum computers but what are they, how are the surface properties created and what makes them so interesting? We will explore the science behind creating these materials in ultra-high vacuum systems, creating electronic devices out of them and cooling them to near absolute zero (-273⁰C).