FUNDAMENTALS OF NANOSCIENCE

1) Fundamentals of NanoScience (MSc in Materials Science, 4 + 4 = 8 CFU)

MODULE A (4 CFU)
- Classification, characteristics and general properties of nanostructured materials: quantum confinement and electronic properties. Size Equations.
- Thermodynamic properties of nanostructured materials: thermodynamic size effect, nucleation (Gibbs-Thomson equation) and growth of nanostructures (Diffusion-Limited Aggregation and Ostwald Ripening regimes).
- Nanostructures embedded in solid matrices: ion implantation for the synthesis and processing of metallic nanostructures. Verification of the nucleation and growth models.
- Optical properties of nanostructured materials: (i) plasmonic properties of non-interacting metallic nanostructures (Mie theory and its extensions); (ii) interacting nanostructures
- Characterization techniques of nanostructures: transmission and scanning electron microscopy in transmission (TEM) and in scanning (SEM) mode.

MODULE B (4 CFU)
Overview of the preparation methods of nanostructures (both top-down and bottom-up, with particular emphasis on the latter). Structural aspects and energy of nanostructures and methods for their stabilization. Defects in nano dimensional materials. Solid with controlled porosity. Forms of nanoparticles: thermodynamics vs. kinetics. Core-shell nanoparticles. Self-assembly and self-organization. Colloidal method. Templating effect. Preparation of nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, thin films. Self-assembled monolayers. Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodget films. Coherent, semi-coherent, epitaxial and pseudomorphic interfaces. Growth methods for ultrathin films: CVD, MBE, PVD, ALE and PLD methods.

Recall of the fundamental equations for electron and photon dynamics. Material properties for electron and photon confinement. Density of states for confined systems in one, two or three dimensions.
Properties of low dimensional carbon nanostructures: graphene and nanotubes. Tight binding approach for the description of their conduction, optical properties (absorption and emission) and Raman scattering (Kataura plots).
Models for the electron confinement in quantum dots in the weak and strong regime.
Confinement of electrons in metallic nanoparticles and plasmonic properties. Froehlich conditions and far and near field optical properties. SERS effect with plasmonic nanostructures.
Hints on the confinement of photons in photonic crystals.

2) Introduction to NanoPhysics (MSc in PHYSICS, 4 + 2 = 6 CFU

The first 4 CFUs are the same as for MODULE A, previously described, which will be borrowed by the students of the 'Introduction to NanoPhysics' of the MSc Degree in Physics.
The remaining 2 CFUs address the following topics:

- Fundamental description of the dynamics of electrons and photons
- Confinement of electrons and photons in nanostructured or periodic materials:
- 2D and 3D photonic crystals;
- Meta-materials: (i) with hyperbolic dispersion and (ii) with negative refractive index;

- Practical laboratory activities: (i) synthesis of Au spherical nanoparticles in solution; (ii) measurement of their UV-VIS transmittance spectrum; (iii) simulation of the experimental spectra with the Mie theory; (iv) electron microscopy characterization.