Faculty in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Malcolm R. Beasley
Theodore and Sydney Rosenberg Professor of Applied Physics

Condensed matter and materials physics with an emphasis on superconductivity and its applications.  Advanced thin film deposition in the search for new superconductors, for model systems for fundamental physical study and for novel device structures.  Development and application of scanning probes for physical measurement.

Martin M. Fejer
Professor of Applied Physics

Nonlinear optical materials and devices. Guided wave optics. Microstructured ferroelectrics and semiconductors. Photorefractive phenomena. Optical characterization of materials and material synthesis processes.

Aharon Kapitulnik
Professor of Applied Physics and Physics
Chair, Department of Applied Physics

Strongly correlated electron systems. Disordered electron systems. Low-dimensional systems. Superconductivity. Magnetism. Quantum phase transitions. Search for broken-time-reversal symmetry state in novel condensed matter systems. Measurements techniques include transport, thermodynamic, optical, magnetic, and STM. Measurements of gravity at sub-mm length-scales.

Kathryn A. Moler
Associate Professor of Applied Physics, and of Physics
Director, Center for Probing the Nanoscale, an NSF NSEC

Development of magnetic nanoprobes for fundamental experiments in condensed matter physics, particularly strongly correlated electron systems and mesoscopic physics.

Zhi-Xun Shen
Professor of Applied Physics, Physics, and Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Director, Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Stanford University
Director, X-Ray Laboratory for Advanced Materials, SLAC, Stanford University

Physics of Quantum Matter: including superconducting, magnetic, ferroelectric and dielectric materials, organic conductors and superconductors, low-dimensional compounds, quantum phase transitions, elementary excitations and collective modes, Kondo and mixed valence problem, magneto-resistive materials, metal-insulator transition. Interaction between Light and Matter, and Advanced Spectroscopy, Scattering and Imaging Techniques: synchrotron radiation and free electron laser, high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy with angle, spin and time resolution, inelastic x-ray scattering, laser based photoelectron spectroscopy and microcopy, soft x-ray emission, and Raman spectroscopy. Physics of the Ultra-Small and Ultra-Fast: nanostructured materials, scanning microwave microscopy, time resolved photoemission spectroscopy, pump probe experiments.

James S. Harris
James and Ellenor Chesebrough Professor of Engineering
Professor of Applied Physics by Courtesy
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering by Courtesy

Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Solid State Device Physics and Modeling. Dr. Harris researches molecular beam epitaxy of III-V compound semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic materials. He also creates new electronic devices utilizing heterojunctions, superlattices, and quantum wells, including three-dimensional electronic devices and circuits.

Lambertus Hesselink
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics by Courtesy
Professor of Applied Physics by Courtesy

Professor Hesselink's research encompasses fundamental research on optics, photonics and optical materials guided by significant applications.   We are focusing on ultra-high performance nano-photonics devices based on a new class of nano-apertures that provide more than 1,000,000 times the optical power throughput of conventional round or square apertures. These apertures form the basis of new applications in many areas of nano-photonics,  including, but not limited to, optical data storage, biophysics, and spectroscopy. In addition we are continuing to further develop digital holographic storage, which we pioneered in 1994.  Currently holographic storage is one of two premier candidates for the next generation of DVD devices.  We also carry out materials research needed to advance the performance of these devices, or to increase our understanding of biological media using a holistic system approach. Currently we are studying the interaction between ultra-fast laser beams and biological tissue.  All device and system research is supported by an extensive effort on exact modeliing of underlying fundamental physical principles.

David A.B. Miller
W.M. Keck Foundation Professor of Electrical Engineering
Professor of Applied Physics by Courtesy
Director, E.L. Ginzton Laboratory
Director, Solid State and Photonics Laboratory

Use of optics in switching, interconnection, computing and sensing systems. Dense optical interconnection to silicon electronics. Physics and applications of quantum well and nanophotonic optics and optoelectronics. Fundamental features and limits for optics in communications and information processing.

W. E. Moerner
Harry S. Mosher Professor of Chemistry
Professor of Applied Physics by Courtesy

Research in the Moerner laboratory focuses on optical detection and imaging of individual molecules, which may be regarded as nanoscale probes of complex condensed matter systems ~1 nm in size. When one molecule is selected by laser pumping, the light emitted from that molecule can be used as a reporter of local energetics, polarity, orientation, symmetry, coupling to nearby molecules, and position, with the ability to sense these variables as a function of time to explore dynamics. These ideas are applied to understand matter on the nanoscale in a range of biological, crystalline, and polymeric systems. The Moerner laboratory has also been developing nanometallic antennas to improve the interaction between molecules and light, with the goal of producing a new and highly efficient near-field optical scanning microscope with resolution near 20 nm. Finally, we have recently developed a new kind of trap for nanoscale objects in solution which overcomes the deleterious effects of Brownian motion. Because this trap does not rely on optical forces like laser tweezers, far smaller objects can be trapped for extended observation, down to individual proteins ~10 nm in size, without the requirement for surface attachment.

Stephen Quake
Professor of Bioengineering
Professor of Applied Physics by Courtesy
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Quake's interests lie at the nexus of physics, biology and biotechnology. Over the past half decade, he has focused on understanding the basic physics and biological applications of microfluidic technology. His group pioneered the development of Microfluidic Large Scale Integration (LSI), demonstrating the first integrated microfluidic devices with thousands of mechanical valves. This technology is helping to pave the way for large scale automation of biology at the nanoliter scale, and he and his students have been exploring applications of "lab on a chip" technology in functional genomics, genetic analysis, and protein design. Throughout his career, Quake has also been active in the field of single molecule biophysics; he has focused on precision measurements on single molecules, and in 2003 his group demonstrated the first successful single molecule DNA sequencing experiments.

John R. Kirtley

Scanning SQUID microscopy: For the past dozen years I have developed the technique of scanning SQUID microscopy and used the resulting novel instruments for fundamental studies.

Daniel Rugar
Consulting Professor of Applied Physics

Nanometer-scale science and technology. Scanning probe microscopy. Magnetic resonance force microscopy (especially its potential for single spin NMR detection and molecular structure determination). Ultrasensitive force detection (including micromechanical sensors, mechanical parametric amplification, thermomechanical noise squeezing). Novel data storage techniques.

Gordon S. Kino
W.M. Keck Foundation Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering
Emeritus Professor of Applied Physics by Courtesy

Nondestructive testing, optical, acoustic, and photo acoustic microscopy; fiber optics; fiber-optic modulators, and fiber optic sensors.

Calvin F. Quate
Leland T. Edwards Emeritus Professor (Research) of Engineering
Emeritus Professor (Research) of Electrical Engineering
Emeritus Professor (Research) of Applied Physics

The dominant theme of our research over the past decade has been the development and application of Scanning Probes Microscopes. We use MEMS technology and micromachining to fabricate various form of cantilevers with integrated sensors and actuators. These instruments are capable of resolving atomic structure when operating in a vacuum, but primarily they are used in ambient atmosphere to image nanoscale structures. In our current program we are using these instruments to fabricate nanoscale devices. In a parallel theme we are employing these tools to study properties of biological molecules.