Fundamentals and applications of quantum electronics: exploring an exotic quantum state in nanostructured materials and exploiting know how for new analytical chemical detectors

我的研究重点是包含纳米结构材料（NSMs）作为关键元素的电子产品。 这是一个高度跨学科的领域，涉及：a）化学-合成/组装纳米结构，化学功能化表面; B）物理-理解新NSM材料中的电荷传输以及对更传统材料的影响;以及c）工程-开发新的电子器件和应用。 鉴于其跨学科性质，这一领域相对而言尚未探索，并提供了下文所述的重要新机会。 我们一直在这一领域作出开创性贡献，并建议在这些成就的基础上再接再厉，具体如下：**1. NSM和量子电子相关性：我的团队是NSM中金属-绝缘体转变（MIT）研究的先驱。在上一个资助周期中，在麻省理工学院附近，我们是第一个在任何NSM中观察到具有强关联、离域电子的奇异量子态的人。相关性被广泛认为是关键的高Tc超导性（铜酸盐），巨大的磁阻（锰氧化物），奇异的超导性（富勒烯，层状有机盐），和其他。这些现象（材料）是历史上研究最多的现象之一，对它们的理解仍然是材料科学的一个探索。我们在NSM中观察到相关电子是我们对NSM控制的一个突破。在这里，我们建议将NSM到晶体管，研究NSM参数和相关状态之间的关系，和工程师/研究新的NSM架构。 这些研究将探讨起源的相关性，手段，以提高过渡温度，他们生存，阐明重要的激发和它们的作用，在电子离域等，这些都是重要的，但仍然是开放的问题。 这些信息可以帮助更好地理解相关材料，甚至可能指向新的此类材料。 这将是非常令人兴奋的考虑到他们的巨大科学和技术的兴趣。2.微加工纳米间隙传感器：在上一个资金周期，我们开发了一种适用于溶液的电导率检测器，证明适合商业应用。在这一成功的基础上，我们还设计和微制造了一种基于硅的纳米间隙设备，以灵敏地监测分子在其表面的吸附/解吸。获得专利的新颖设计实现了多项功能，包括成本效益、机械稳定性、无标签传感和通过硅烷化实现的强大表面可调性。在目前的资金周期中，我建议用各种“受体”功能化传感器的表面，并感测选择性/特定的“目标”。 这些结果直接应用于检测饮用水/环境水中的有害物质以及生物医学和药物发现应用中的各种分子。********

My research focuses on electronics that contain nanostructured materials (NSMs) as critical elements. This is a highly interdisciplinary field, which involves: a) chemistry - synthesizing/assembling nanostructures, chemically functionalizing surfaces; b) physics - understanding charge transport in new NSM materials and implications for more traditional materials; and c) engineering - developing new electronic devices and applications. In view of its interdisciplinary nature, this area is relatively unexplored and offers significant new opportunities as described below. We have been making seminal contributions to this area and propose to build on these achievements as follows:******1. NSMs and quantum electron correlations: My group is pioneering the study of metal-insulator transition (MIT) in NSMs. In the last funding cycle, near MIT, we were the first to observe - in any NSM - an exotic quantum state with strongly correlated, delocalized electrons. Correlations are widely believed to be critical for high Tc superconductivity (cuprates), colossal magnetoresistivity (manganites), exotic superconductivity (fullerites, layered organic salts), and others. These phenomena (materials) are some of the most studied in history, and their understanding remains a quest in materials science.******Our observing correlated electrons in NSMs is a breakthrough given our control over NSMs. Here, we propose to incorporate NSMs into transistors, study relationships between NSM parameters and the correlated state, and engineer/study new NSM architectures. These studies will explore the origins of correlations, means to raise transition temperatures to which they survive, elucidate important excitations and their roles in electron delocalizaton, etc. These are important but still open questions. Such information can help better understand correlated materials generally and perhaps even point to new such materials. This would be very exciting given their great scientific and technological interest.******2. Microfabricated, nanogap sensor: In the last funding cycle, we developed a conductivity detector for solutions which proved suitable for commercial application. Building on this success, we also designed and microfabricated a silicon-based, nanogap device to sensitively monitor adsorption/desorption of molecules to/from its surface. The patented, novel design enables several features, including cost effectiveness, mechanical stability, label-free sensing and robust surface tunability via silanization. In the present funding cycle, I propose to functionalize the sensor's surface with various "receptors" and sense selective/specific "targets". These results have direct application to sense hazardous species in drinking/environmental water and various molecules for biomedical and drug discovery applications. ********