Exploiting nanogap electrodes to probe single nanoparticles, fashion interference-based magnetoresistive materials and develop an electronic surface-dielectric spectroscopy

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This research will advance nanoscale electronics on three interrelated fronts. 1) Since nanostructures are so small, interrogating their electrical properties is challenging. One common way to do this is by incorporating nanostructures in nanometer-sized gaps fashioned in thin (granular) films. The Dhirani group has observed that these widely used devices exhibit two curious phenomena: they yield anomalous values of energy levels of nanostructures and, even without nanostructures incorporated, they tend to exhibit an "extra" resistance to current flow at low voltages. Resolving these issues can lead to an improved understanding of charge flow in these nanoprobes and in nanostructures generally. The latter impacts many areas of interest in cutting edge electronics, ranging from studies of molecular electronics to improved efficiencies for nanostructured solar cells. 2) Electron Interference: There is an emerging idea in materials science that nanostructures may be used as "artificial atoms" to make new types of "artificial materials" with "designer" properties. The applicant has provided a vivid demonstration. A decade ago, granular materials were predicted to possess resistance that oscillated with voltage and magnetic field, a prediction that was confirmed for the first time by the applicant's group - thanks to their use of "artificial materials". In a new series of experiments, the applicant's group will control and, indeed, harness this effect by using nanoshells as material building blocks in order to make the effect even more pronounced. Such a demonstration would represent a coup for nano- and material sciences as it demonstrates fabricating a new material with properties engineered from the bottom-up. 3) Dielectric Sensing: Using lessons learned from the above-mentioned fundamental studies of nanoparticle films, the applicant's group has fabricated a new type of electronics-based chemical detector. One of the goals of this proposal is to better understand the workings of these detectors. Nano-science can indeed be fertile ground for exciting new nanotechnology: chemical detectors are ubiquitous in chemical industries, pharmaceutical companies, biomedical labs, environmental labs, in biosensors for medical diagnostics, drug evaluation, etc.