This course will cover the self-assembly process and unusual phenomena occurring in nanostructures of carbon, such as fullerenes and nanotubes, and magnetic aggregates in different size ranges. Emphasis will be placed on the often unexpected behavior that occurs in the nanometer-size range, due to the finite size and/or low dimension of nanostructures. These phenomena include slow thermal and electronic equilibration, integer and fractional conductance quantization, and an unusual response to mechanical stress, high temperatures and electric fields.
Wherever possible, computer simulation and visualization tools will be used to promote fundamental understanding. I will restrict the use of equations to the minimum, to make the lectures accessible and enjoyable to Physicists, Chemists, and Engineers alike. An important purpose of the lectures is to inform about the state-of-the-art of Nanotechnology as well as its likely impact on our lives in the very near future.
Course Announcement
Updated course information can be found on the web at https://nanoten.com/tomanek/courses/PHY913/index.html
Course Outline
tomanek@msu.edu