Nanostructures are either formed by a top-down approach (e.g., by nanolithography) or bottom-up approach (e.g., chemical synthesis). In an interdisciplinary fashion, we employ both approaches with focus on electronic and magnetic properties of condensed-matter systems, single nanostructures, and molecular building blocks.
The quantum nature of bulk and nanoscale matter, visible, e.g., in charge quantization, electron-interaction and electron-interference phenomena, and quantum phase transitions, is a driving issue in this topic. Novel superconducting and magnetic properties as the most prominent – and technologically highly relevant – features of electronic interactions are investigated. Of particular interest will be the behaviour of interacting electrons in thin films, at interfaces and at surfaces, and in quasi-twodimensional structures such as graphene. Scanning probe techniques are used as tools for both structuring and investigating metal-metal and metal-molecule contacts down to the atomic scale, e. g., for single-atom transistors. Advanced theoretical concepts will be developed to understand the impact of electron interactions in nanoscale and bulk systems.
Our investigation of molecular building blocks comprises carbon nanomaterials including fullerenes, laterally constrained nanographene and carbon nanotubes, inorganic semiconducting and magnetic clusters and nanowires, and organic supramolecular structures. We aim at understanding size-dependent changes of geometric and electronic structure and ensuing physical properties – notably quantum size effects - in a close cooperation between experiment and quantum chemical theory. Physical properties include optical absorption and emission, magnetic behaviour, as well as decay dynamics following excitation. Techniques for parallel assembly of organic molecules and inorganic nanorods into functional units will be developed.
