The London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) - a joint venture between UCL
and Imperial College London - is leading two international projects to develop
radically new approaches to miniaturising computer systems, which would require
less energy and make data storage completely stable, among other benefits.
 | | A nanotechnology researcher at work |
The technology, known as 'spintronics', is based on exploiting
the magnetic 'spin' properties of individual molecules or atoms
as well as the electronic charges at this level in metals and other materials
used in traditional electronics.
The LCN researchers will work with colleagues at Peking University and Tsinghua
University to investigate molecular nanospintronics and with the University
of Surrey to investigate silcon-based spintronics. The projects are both funded
by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the
Natural Science Foundation of China.
Professor Gabriel Aeppli, Director of the LCN, said: These projects
will take our collaborations with two top Chinese universities to new heights.
China is an emerging powerhouse of advanced research and by collaborating with
scientists from around the world, the LCN is driving nanotechnology forwards.
The researchers aim to reach an in-depth understanding of the nanoscale electronic,
magnetic, and structural properties of novel spintronic systems made from ultra-small
silicon and organic structures. Recent advances in scanning probe microscopy,
pioneered by the team's members, will make the exploration of these systems
at the single atom or molecule scale possible.
The two spintronics projects add to UCL's portfolio of collaborative
projects with China. One recent example is the 'Fourth Generation Wireless
Communication' project, under the EPSRC's UK-China Science Bridges
Scheme, which will aim to facilitate scientific exchange, rapid technology development
and the commercialisation of new wireless communication technologies. Another
project, being carried out under the EPSRC's Collaborative Research with
China on Cleaner Fossil Fuels Scheme, aims to develop multifunctional nanostructures
that can effectively capture carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants in coal-fired
power stations
Posted August 14th, 2009
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