January 26, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Magneto-electrics and Topological Insulators
to be presented by Bhagawan Sahu of University Texas at Austin
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: I will review the current understandings of two insulating solid state systems in which spin-orbit coupling play an important role and which may have potential for device applications. Magneto-electrics, particularly in perovskite oxides, provide an opportunity to explore the electric field manipulation of the magnetism. I will discuss the Physics of coupling of electric field & magnetism and why it is possible in one type of oxide but not in others. Three dimensional topological insulators provide a hope for manipulating surface states which are, by definition, protected against disorder, scattering, perturbations etc. I will provide examples wherein topological features can be influenced by system sizes as well as by an electric field.
Bhagawan Sahu is a Research Scientist in Microelectronics Research Center (MRC) at the University of Texas at Austin and PI in the SWAN center. Dr. Sahu has B.S degree in Physics from Mumbai University and both M.S & Ph. D degree in Physics from Pune University, India. He served as a postdoctoral researcher in Physics at UT-Austin before joining MRC in 2006. Dr. Sahu is a Condensed Matter Theorist and his research is focused on exploring and understanding the Physics of novel materials system using Density Functional and related simulation methods.
Please register to participate in the NRI e-Workshop: Magneto-electrics and Topological Insulators
February 23, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Interconnects for Novel State Variables
to be presented by Azad Naeemi of Georgia Institute of Technology
on Tuesday, February 23rd at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: Inventing novel information processing elements based on state variables other than electronic charge has been the core mission of the NRI community. This has been motivated by a general consensus that virtually all field-effect devices will eventually face a similar power limitation. A very diverse set of options is being explored while there are no clear front-runners at the moment. Electron spin, pseudospin in graphene, direct and indirect excitions, temperature, and plasmons are some of the major new tokens of information being studied.
In CMOS circuits, wires account for more than half of the capacitance on a chip and consequently the same fraction of chip dynamic power dissipation, and interconnects are a large and ever increasing component of the circuit delay. Any promising new state variable must be easy to communicate in a fast and low-energy fashion at least locally. Otherwise, the circuitry, energy and delay overheads associated with signal conversion are going to be prohibitive. Understanding interconnect aspects of new state variables is therefore key in identifying promising alternatives to electronic charge, and interconnects for post-CMOS devices cannot be treated as an afterthought.
In this presentation, a general platform will be presented to model the intrinsic speeds of interconnects for various state variables. It will be demonstrated that interconnects may impose major limits on the speed and complexity of the new circuits unless their architectures are served with shorter interconnects compared to CMOS circuits. The results will have important implications at the material, device, circuit and architecture levels.
Azad Naeemi received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Sharif University, Tehran, Iran, in 1994, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Atlanta, in 2001 and 2003, respectively. He worked as a Research Engineer with the Microelectronics Research Center, Georgia Tech, from 2003 to 2008 and has been an Assistant Professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech, since 2008.
He is a member of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors technical working group on Interconnects and is the recipient of the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) Paul Rappaport Award for the best paper that has appeared in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices during 2007.
Please register to participate in the NRI e-Workshop: Interconnects for Novel State Variablesp
March 9, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Performance Analysis of Band-to-band Tunneling
to be presented by Mathieu Luisier from the Network for Computational Technology, Purdue University
on Tuesday, March 9th at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: With the rapid decrease of the semiconductor device dimensions, computer aided design is entering a new era where one-dimensional models and classical approximations such as drift-diffusion are no more valid and need to be replaced by more evolved, but computationally more intensive approaches based on discrete quantum mechanics. For example, the tight-binding method has established itself as a very powerful approach to accurately capture the strong quantization of electrons and holes and the atomic granularity of devices at the nanometer scale. The Network for Computational Nanotechnology at Purdue University is therefore developing a novel, multi-dimensional, quantum transport solver based on the tight-binding approach, OMEN, dedicated to the simulation of post-CMOS devices.
In this presentation, it will be shown how OMEN can be used to investigate the performances of band-to-band tunneling transistors (TFETs). Heat dissipation and power consumption have become two major issues in designing new integrated circuits. These problems play a more important role as the size of transistors is approaching the atomic scale. Tunneling FETs are expected to help reduce the power consumption of electronic devices by exhibiting sub-threshold slopes below the 60 mV/decade limit of conventional MOSFETs and allowing smaller voltage swings between the OFF- and ON-state of transistors. However, they suffer from very low ON-currents. Using the atomistic and full-band capabilities of OMEN, different transistor structures (planar and three-dimensional), designs (lateral and vertical), and material compositions (graphene, InAs, InSb, and GaSb-InAs broken gap heterostructures) will be analyzed and compared to improve the ON-current of TFETs while maintaining a steep sub-threshold slope and a low OFF-current. Finally, some details about the numerical implementation and the current development of OMEN will be given.
Mathieu Luisier received his degree of Dipl.-Ing. in electrical engineering in 2003 and his doctoral degree in 2007, both from the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. His PhD thesis was about atomistic and full-band simulations of nanowire transitors. In 2008 he joined the Network for Computational Nanotechnology, Purdue University, USA, as a research assistant professor. His current research interests are focused on quantum transport in nanoscale devices, like III-V MOSFETs and band-to-band tunneling transistors, parallel numerical algorithms, and on the development of the next generation computer aided design (CAD) tools. He is the main developer of OMEN, a novel quantum transport simulator dedicated to post-CMOS devices.
Please register to participate in the NRI e-Workshop: Performance Analysis of Band-to-band Tunneling
March 26-27, 2010
NanoDays, Museum of Science Boston
NanoDays is a nationwide celebration of nanoscale science, and you're invited! Come celebrate with us at the Museum of Science on Friday, March 26 - Saturday, March 27. Enjoy nano-related activities throughout the Museum of Science Exhibit Halls, including these special events: The Amazing Nano Brothers Juggling Show, Explore the Nano World with Hands-On Demonstrations (led by Harvard students & faculty), and Special Guest Researcher Presentations (including Harvard Faculty members George Whitesides, Donald Ingber and Jennifer Hoffman).
March 30, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: All-Spin Logic
to be presented by Supriyo Datta, Behtash Behin-Aein and Kaushik Roy from the Purdue University
on Tuesday, March 30th at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: The possible use of spin rather than charge as a state variable in devices for processing and storing information has been widely discussed, because it could allow low-power operation and might also have applications in quantum computing. However, spin-based experiments and proposals for logic applications typically use spin only as an internal variable, the terminal quantities for each individual logic gate still being charge-based. This requires repeated spin-to-charge conversion, using extra hardware that offsets any possible advantage.
We propose a spintronic device that uses spin at every stage of its operation: information manipulation, transport, storage, input and output are all accomplished with magnets and spin-coherent channels. Contrary to the typical spin/magnet based logic schemes, the all-spin scheme neither relies on ordinary magnetic fields (generated by current carrying wires) nor does it rely on electrical read-out of magnetic states. Binary data are represented by the bi-stable states of nanomagnets (i.e. magnetic polarization) which can be non-volatile. Application of a voltage signal to a magnetic contact (input data bit) creates a spin-current in a channel which can be conveniently guided and routed to another magnetic contact (output data bit) where it determines its final state based on spin-torque phenomenon.
The all-spin device could potentially find use for low-power digital logic since it should satisfy the five essential requirements for logic applications namely nonlinearity, gain, concatenability, feedback prevention and a complete set of Boolean operations. Satisfaction of these essential characteristics paves the way for the design of large scale digital circuits. Cascading and clocking of logic gates will be discussed along with the device/circuit/architecture co-optimization of all-spin logic (ASL).
While the focus of the talk will be on digital logic, it is interesting to note that the all-spin scheme could provide a basis for unconventional approaches. For example the spin accumulation in a channel underneath a magnetic contact could provide a 'weighted average' of different inputs that makes it switch ("fire") when it exceeds a threshold like neural networks. Alternatively the magnetic contacts on top of the channel could possibly serve as Input-Output interface for spin-based quantum computing.
Please register to participate in the NRI e-Workshop: All-Spin Logic
April 3, 2010
Boston Area Quantum Matter Meeting
3rd annual Boston area quantum matter meeting will be held at UMass Boston.
The meeting site has great waterfront views, and is easily accessible by the subway (JFK/UMass station on the red line).
Please register to participate in the Boston Area Quantum Matter Meeting e-Workshop as soon as possible, as that will help our planning for the meeting.
April 9, 2010
Boston Area CarbOn Nanoscience Meeting: BACON
BACON is an opportunity to share new results to local carbon nano-scientists, swap advice and foster future collaborations.
Talks:
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Gate-tunable energy gap in suspended bilayer graphene
Monica Allen (Yacoby Group, Harvard) -
Phonon lifetimes and thermal conductivity of graphene from first-principles
Nicola Bonini (Marzari Group, MIT)
Information a bout past BSACON talks and also to join our mailing list.
MIT Duboc Seminar Room, 4-331 (Building 4, 3rd floor, room 331)
April 13, 2010
The Future of Energy
Building a Green Energy Economy through Accelerated Innovation by Kristina Johnson, Under Secretary of Energy, US Department of Energy
11:45 am, Piper Auditorium, Gund Hall, GSD, 48 Quincy Street, Harvard University
Kristina M. Johnson, Ph.D. is currently the Under Secretary for Energy at the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. Prior to her appointment as Under Secretary, Dr. Johnson was Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Johns Hopkins University. She received her B.S., M.S. (with distinction) and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. After a NATO post-doctoral fellowship at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, she joined the University of Colorado-Boulder’s faculty in 1985 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to full Professor in 1994. From 1994 to 1999 Dr. Johnson directed the NSF/ERC for Optoelectronics Computing Systems Center at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, and then served as Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University from 1999 to 2007.
The Future of Energy lecture series is sponsored by the Harvard University Center for the Environment with generous support from Bank of America. All of the lectures are free and open to the public.
April 13, 2010
NRI e-Workshop
Fast Switching vs. Non-Equilibrium Switching: From all Graphene Circuits to Clock-Driven Ratchet Logic to be presented by Avik Ghosh and Mircea Stan from the University of Virginia, part of the INDEX Center
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Please register to participate in this NRI e-Workshop
April 14, 2010
Nutrition and Global Health Symposium
Harvard Inititative for Global Health presents: Nutrition and Achieving the Millenium Development Goals
This symposium, Nutrition and Achieving the Millennium Development Goals seeks to explore the relationship between nutrition, eradicating hunger, and improving child and maternal health. Speakers from around the globe will provide attendees with an in-depth understanding of the importance of nutrition as a primary component to global health and a better understanding of the challenges of improving nutritional and global health outcomes in developing countries. The annual symposium will bring together leading global health researchers, faculty and students to interact and explore future collaborations.
Speakers from around the globe will provide attendees with an in-depth understanding of the importance of nutrition as a primary component to global health and a better understanding of the challenges of improving nutritional and global health outcomes in developing countries. The annual symposium will bring together leading global health researchers, faculty and students to interact and explore future collaborations.
More information on the Nutrition and Global Health Symposium.
April 23, 2010
Cambridge Science Festival
10 brilliant, expertly refereed talks by some of Cambridge's finest, including Lisa Randall, Ed Boyden, Nicholas Christakis, George Church, Max Tegmark, Marc Hauser, Rebecca Saxe, Peter Galison, Angela Belcher, and Pardis Sabeti.
Five minutes per talk, plus five minutes for questions - presenting a kaleidoscope of eye-popping, mind-boggling ideas - all in the space of just 2 hours!
Reception with speakers to follow.
April 27, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Manipulating the electron spin and pseudo-spin degree of freedom
to be presented by Emanuel Tutuc from the University of Texas - Austin
at 4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: Controlling the electron's degrees of freedom other than charge is key to enabling electronic devices which aim to use such degrees of freedom for switching. We examine here two type of experiments which probe the injection and transport of electron's spin and pseudo-spin in germanium nanowires, and graphene bilayers respectively.
To illustrate spin transport we examine the lateral spin injection in germanium nanowires with ferromagnetic contacts and MgO tunnel barriers. Two-point magneotresistance data show spin-valve effect, and non-local, four-point magnetoresistance measurements confirm lateral spin injection. We map out the contact resistance window where lateral spin transport is observed, and discuss the findings within the framework of the spin diffusion theory.
In closely spaced double layer systems the electrons acquire a layer (pseudo-spin) degree of freedom, where the top (bottom) layer states are represented by the pseudo-spin pointing up (down). We discuss experimental techniques to probe electron transport in double layer systems, with an emphasis on independently-contacted, closely spaced graphene layers, separated by a high-k dielectric film. We present Coulomb drag measurements as a probe of interlayer coupling in this system.
Bio: Emanuel Tutuc received his B.S. in Physics from Ecole Normale Supérieure, University of Paris in 1997, his M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1999 and Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University 2004. He held research positions at Princeton University and I.B.M. T.J. Watson Research Center from 2004 to 2006. He joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin within the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Microelectronics Research Center in the spring of 2007. His current research interests include electronic properties of quantum confined systems, novel semiconductor materials and devices, chemical vapor deposition, metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Dr. Tutuc was awarded a prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation in 2009.
April 28, 2010
BASF Venture Capital: Investing in Innovation
presented by Dr. Pulakesh Mukherjee
Harvard University | 11:00 am | Pierce 209
BASF Venture Capital (BVC) is the corporate venture capital company of the BASF Group. BVC invests in start-up companies and venture capital funds worldwide. BVC’s investments focus on innovative technologies with a high growth potential where chemistry plays an important role, as well as new materials and substances with significant market opportunities. Moreover, BVC supports innovative start-ups with expert know-how from the BASF Group. In doing so, BASF is opening a window on new technologies.
Pulakesh Mukherjee joined BASF Venture Capital as Investment Manager in September 2009. He began is career in 2002 in research and development at BASF in Germany. After his stint in research he joined the intermediates division and was posted in India where he was responsible for business development, marketing and sales of specialty chemicals. Dr. Mukherjee obtained his PhD in Chemistry from Stanford University.
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Please contact Oliver Caplan, with any questions on this talk.
April 30, 2010
Silent LED Rave @ The Lab Idea Night
In collaboration with the A.R.T., the Silent LED Rave @ The Lab is the first social and art experiment of its kind at Harvard. Asking "What Does Your Music Look Like?," this event brings iPods and LEDs together to render dynamic light art photography and film to different forms of music.
These pieces will be placed on display at The Laboratory at Harvard's artscience exhibitions next season.
The Laboratory at Harvard, Northwest Science Building
52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
May 1, 2010
2010 Global Public Health & Technology Conference: globalPHAT.2010: Moving Beyond the Technology
Harvard Kennedy School 8am - 7pm
Global PHAT 2010: Moving Beyond the Technology puts the health technology in context, focusing on human-centered, practical implementation strategies in developing countries. This event brings together health technology implementers to examine the critical factors that make technologies successful, including capacity building, partnership development, monitoring and evaluation, workflow and information flow optimization, and cultural contexts.
May 4, 2010
Center for Excitonics Seminar Series: Semiconductor Nanowires: from LEDs to Solar Cells
Presenter: Silvija Grade?ak
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Haus Room 36-428, 3:00 - 4:00pm
Abstract: Nanostructured materials – including nanowires, nanotubes, and nanocrystals – have unique and size-tunable properties that depend on the precise arrangement of their atomic constituents. These nanomaterials offer solutions to some of the current challenges in science and engineering, and could potentially lead to improved understanding of the physical world and to discoveries of new phenomena. However, functionality of novel nanomaterials and their impact on society will be ultimately dictated by our understanding and ability to precisely control their structural properties, size uniformity, and dopant distribution at the atomic level. In this talk, I will discuss the growth, doping, and applications of III-V nanowires and nanowire heterostructures using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, as well as advanced electron microscopy techniques for direct correlation of structural and physical properties with high spatial resolution. We have demonstrated that the cathodoluminescence (CL) technique, coupled with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), effectively bypasses the resolution limit of conventional far-field photoluminescence spectroscopy and allows direct structure-property correlation on the nanoscale. The CL-STEM optical studies of single nanowire heterostructures with spatial resolution of <20 nm will be discussed. Finally, applications of semiconductor nanowires for LED and solar cell applications will be described.
May 14, 2010
6th Annual Stanford Nanoprobes Workshop
Bechtel Conference Center, Encina Hall, 616 Serra Mall, Stanford University
May 23-June 5, 2010, June 13-26, 2010
Two Sessions for: http://www.cspo.org/outreach/scienceoutsidethelab/
Presented by Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO), explores the relationships among science, policy, and societal outcomes in a place where many important decisions about these things are made – Washington, D.C. During the two-week workshop, students will meet and interact with the people who fund, regulate, shape, critique, publicize and study science, including congressional staffers, funding agency officers, lobbyists, regulators, journalists, academics, museum curators and others.
Applications due April 1, 2010
June 10-11, 2010
2010 Koch Institute Annual Symposium, Integrative Approaches to Cancer
Over the two-day program, top cancer researchers from around the world will share insights and updates on their work.
8:30-4:30 Kresge Auditorium, MIT
Register to the 2010 Koch Institute Annual Symposium.
June 21-23, 2010
68th Device Research Conference
University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
March 1, 2010 abstract submission deadline. Two page abstracts will be accepted by online submission at the conference web sitewww.deviceresearchconference.org. The Device Research Conference Technical Digest is published by IEEE and is made available online through IEEE Xplore.
For more than sixty years, the Device Research Conference has brought together leading scientists, researchers, and graduate students from varied disciplines in academia and industry to share their latest research and discoveries in the field. The university setting of the Device Research Conference encourages frank and open technical discussion on recent breakthroughs and advances in device research, and provides a great atmosphere for social events. The technical program will be a mix of invited, oral, and poster presentations. In addition, the conference will hold three evening rump sessions aimed at engaging the audience in a vigorous and charged discussion on the future directions of competing device technologies. The Device Research Conference has a tradition of strong graduate student participation. This is recognized by offering student travel support and a Best Student Paper Award.
This year the Device Research Conference program will also feature a short course on Spin Transport Physics and Devices. This full day tutorial will be offered on Sunday, June 20, 2010; a partial list of speakers includes Ian Appelbaum, Supriyo Datta, Michael Flatté, Kimberley Hall, and Andy Kent. Additional information on the 68th Device Research Conference short course.
The Device Research Conference is coordinated with the Electronic Materials Conference to be held during the same week from June 23 to 25, 2010. This recognizes the strong interaction between device and electronic materials research and provides for fruitful exchange of information between attendees of both conferences.
In the coming weeks you will find an updated list of plenary and invited speakers and special sessions that are planned at the conference web site.
June 22-24, 2010
New England Nanomanufacturing Summit
Highlighting research and development to transition new approaches and applications of nanomanufacturing to commercialization by leading academic institutions and industries in the Northeast.
U Mass Lowell, Lowell, MA
June 29, 2010
NRI e-Workshop Energy Dissipation in Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Electronics
to be presented by Prof. Eric Pop of University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: Power consumption is a significant challenge, often limiting the performance of integrated circuits from mobile devices to massive data centers. Carbon nanoelectronics have emerged as potentially energy-efficient future devices and interconnects, with both large mobility and thermal conductivity. This talk will focus on power dissipation in carbon nanotubes and graphene, with applications to low-energy devices, interconnects and memory elements. Experiments have been used to gain new insight into the fundamental behavior of such devices, and to better inform practical device models. The results suggest much room for energy optimization in nanoelectronics through the design of geometry, interfaces, and materials.
Bio: Eric Pop joined UIUC in 2007. His research group studies energy-efficient devices based on carbon nanotubes, graphene, and phase-change materials. He received his Ph.D. in EE from Stanford (2005), and holds M.S./B.S. degrees in EE and a B.S. in Physics from MIT (1999). Prior to UIUC he worked at Intel on non-volatile memory and did post-doctoral work at Stanford on the thermal properties of carbon nanotubes. He is the recipient of the ONR Young Investigator Award (2010), the NSF CAREER Award (2010), the AFOSR Young Investigator Award (2010), the DARPA Young Faculty Award (2008), and the Arnold O. Beckman Research Award (2007). He currently serves on the DRC and IEDM technical program committees, and is the faculty advisor of the HKN Alpha chapter at UIUC.
July 13, 2010
NRI e-Workshop Impact of Edge Scattering on Graphene Nanoribbon Transport
to be presented by Dr. Raghu Murali of Georgia Institute of Technology
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: Graphene has shown impressive properties for nanoelectronics applications, including a high mobility and a width dependent bandgap. Use of graphene in nanoelectronics would most likely be in the form of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) where the ribbon width is expected to be less than 20 nm. Many theoretical projections have been made on the impact of edge scattering on carrier transport in GNRs-most studies point to a degradation of mobility (of GNRs) as well as the on/off ratio (of GNR FETs). This work provides the first clear experimental evidence of the onset of size effect in patterned GNRs; it is shown that, for W < 60 nm, carrier mobility in GNRs is limited by edge scattering.
Bio: Raghu Murali is a Senior Research Engineer in the Nanotechnology Research Center at Georgia Tech. He received his PhD from Georgia Tech in 2004. He has over 40 refereed publications and is the author of many book chapters. His research focuses on the use of graphene for post-CMOS nanoelectronics.
July 19-30, 2010
Harvard Institute for Global Health is pleased to host its second
Health IT Expert Panel: "Local Software Development for Global eHealth"
Join the members and moderators of the Health IT online community in discussing in-country coding and the development of local eHealth capacity.
July 27, 2010
NRI e-Workshop Nanoscale Devices and Materials for Neuromorphic Architectures
to be presented by Dr. Eric Vogel of University of Texas - Dallas
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: As traditional device scaling according to Moore’s Law moves toward real physical limitations, alternative computational architectures will augment the capabilities of binary systems. Neuromorphic architectures are promising due to their efficiency in performing complex tasks such as pattern recognition and classification as well as learning and adaptation. In this work, nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si) nanowire transistors are fabricated and characterized. SPICE device models are developed to fit the electrical characteristics of ambipolar thin-film transistors (TFTs) and the corresponding device model geometry is then extrapolated down to submicron dimensions. The devices are then used to simulate a spiking neuron circuit with properties similar to biological neurons. Memristor SPICE models are also developed and the properties of simple electronic neural networks are explored.
August 9-11, 2010
3rd Annual MIND Onsite Review and NRI Architecture & Device Benchmarking Workshop.
The purpose of this workshop is to discuss nonconventional system architectures to see whether this perspective can be used to suggest new ways to use alternate-state-variable technologies.
For your traveling convenience, the workshop will be held at Notre Dame on Monday, August 9 – the day before the MIND Onsite Review. We encourage you to attend both events!
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Registration and meals will be paid for by the MIND Center; however, please register separately for both events to reserve your place at the meetings. The registration deadline is Monday, August 2, 2010.
Registration is now available for both events (along with a preliminary agenda, logistics, parking and hotel information) at the NRI website:
Review the 3rd Annual MIND Onsite Review and NRI Architecture & Device Benchmarking Workshop.
Register to the 3rd Annual MIND Onsite Review and NRI Architecture & Device Benchmarking Workshop.
August 16-20, 2010
School and Conference on Spin-based Quantum Information Processing
University of Konstanz, Denmark
The summer school and conference on Spin-based Quantum Information Processing. This event will bring together 30 world-leading experts and about 120 young scientists in the field of spin coherence, control, and spin-based quantum information processing in solid-state nanostructures. Scientists active in the field will introduce the participants into the basic principles of quantum coherent spin physics, and the fast developments of the field in the last 5-10 years. The latest developments, current trends, and open problems will be discussed.
The registration fee including lunch is 400 Euros.
Application is now open; the registration deadline is April 23, 2010.
August 31, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Thermoelectric effects and thermal spin currents in magnetic nanostructures
to be presented by Dr. Barry Zink of the University of Denver
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: The study of spin transport in magnetic nanostructures continues to be scientifically rich and technologically important field of condensed matter physics. Recently, significant interest and excitement has focused on the role that thermal gradients play in magnetic nanostructures and devices, with both potentially useful and deleterious effects. For example, theory predicts that heat currents can assist spin-transfer in nanowires, multilayers, and similar small-scale devices. Both experiment and theory suggest the possibility of creating useful spin potentials by the controlled application of thermal gradients, in what some have termed the Spin Seebeck Effect. The fundamental physics of this and other similar thermoelectric effects in magnetic nanostructures are very much a current topic of debate, and call for additional experimental investigation. In this seminar I will overview the novel techniques we have developed at the University of Denver, in collaboration with NIST Boulder, to probe the fundamental physics of thermoelectric effects and spin currents in magnetic films and devices. We focus on creating and measuring well-understood thermal gradients in small structures using micromachined thermal isolation platforms. I will present results of our broad study of the "standard" thermoelectric effect in thin films, as well as our more recent work on direct measurements of thermally generated spin potentials and currents.
This e-Workshop will be held in WebEx, NRI’s choice for web conferencing software. Review this information If you have never used WebEx before or to make sure your computer is compatible with WebEx, enter the information and click “Join”. Please feel free to contact WebEx Support if you are having trouble joining the test meeting.
The detailed log-in information will be emailed to you a few days prior to the e-Workshop.
September 21-23, 2010
5th Annual INDEX Onsite Review and NRI/FCRP Carbon Electronics Workshop.
The review will be one-day. The objective of the workshop is to collect under one roof as many as possible of the researchers in the FCRP, NRI and NSF-NRI programs in this area.
For your traveling convenience, the workshop will be held at NanoFab 300, South Auditorium, CSNE, University of Albany-SUNY – the day before the Index Onsite Review. We encourage you to attend both events!
ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Registration and meals will be paid for by the Index Center; however, please register separately for both events to reserve your place at the meetings. The registration deadline is Monday, September 20, 2010.
Registration is now available for both events (along with a preliminary agenda, logistics, parking and hotel information) at the NRI website:
Review the 5th Annual INDEX Onsite Review and NRI/FCRP Carbon Electronics Workshop.
Register to the 5th Annual INDEX Onsite Review and NRI/FCRP Carbon Electronics Workshop.
September 28, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Ultra-fast oxide metal-Insulator transitions as a paradigm for electronic switches
to be presented by Prof. Shriram Ramanathan
of Harvard University
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: Electronically triggered sub-picosecond metal-insulator transitions in oxide thin films could enable novel electronics for logic and memory technologies, simultaneously offering unique opportunities that may not be possible with conventional semiconductor FETs. We will describe on-going efforts in our laboratory on the problem of gated phase transitions in functional oxides, particularly vanadium oxide thin films. A material of great interest for several decades since Morin’s report in 1959, a number of questions still need to be addressed critically, that relate to un-ambiguous demonstration of electronic triggering of the phase transition, structural stability and lattice distortions, as well as fundamental transport properties in nanoscale devices.
Bio: Shriram Ramanathan is a faculty member in Materials Science at Harvard University. Along with students and collaborators, he studies structure-property relations in thin film oxides.
If you have difficulty or cannot see the register button, please drop me an email and I will register for you.
Review this information If you have never used WebEx before or to make sure your computer is compatible with WebEx, enter the information and click “Join”. Please feel free to contact WebEx Support if you are having trouble joining the test meeting.
The detailed log-in information will be emailed to you a few days prior to the e-Workshop.
October 15, 2010
Evans Symposium: Life at Different Scales: Pushing and Pulling the Limits of Biomechanics
A symposium celebrating Even Evan's 70th birthday
Boston University, Photonics Building, room 206
October 21, 2010
Dudley Herschbach Teacher/Scientist Lecture Series
features Bruce Alberts, Editor-in-Chief of Science and past president of the National Academy of Sciences, with an introduction by Drew Faust. Dr. Alberts' talk is titled "Why Harvard Needs to Lead a Redefinition of Science Education."
4:00 pm, Sever Hall, Harvard University
November 12, 2010
MGH Center for Global Health Inaugural Symposium: Broadening the Response: The Role of Academic Medical Centers in Global Health.
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
December 2010
NanoJapan 2011 Online Applications Now Open
Program involving and training students in cutting edge research project in nanoscience while also cultivating a generation of globally aware engineers and scientists
December 14, 2010
NRI e-Workshop: Nanomagnet Logic: Introduction and State of the Art
to be presented by Prof. Jeffrey Bokor of UC-Berkeley and
Michael Niemier of Notre Dame
4pm ET / 3pm CT / 2pm MT / 1pm PT
Abstract: Presently, most computation is charge-based. A power supply maintains computational state, and thousands of electrons (each at ~40 kT) are needed to perform a single function. Alternatively, ensembles of magnetic islands with nanometer feature sizes could store, move, and process information in a cellular automata-like architecture. Nanomagnet logic (NML) devices could retain state without power, are radiation-hard, and dissipate < 40 kT per switching event for a gate operation. In this e-Workshop we will discuss experimental progress, potential mechanisms for energy efficient clock structures for NML, techniques to ensure that NML circuit operation is robust, and potential architectural mappings.
Register to participate in the NRI e-Workshop: Nanomagnet Logic: Introduction and State of the Art.
If you have difficulty or cannot see the register button, try logging in first. If that does not work, please drop me an email and I will register for you.
Review this information If you have never used WebEx before or to make sure your computer is compatible with WebEx, enter the information and click “Join”. Please feel free to contact WebEx Support if you are having trouble joining the test meeting.
The detailed log-in information will be emailed to you a few days prior to the e-Workshop.
December 15, 2010
The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy: A New Paradigm in Transformational Energy Research
Eric Toone, Deputy Director for Technology
Jonathan Burbaum, Program Director
David Shum, Program Director
Nick Cizek, Fellow
In Spring of 2009 President Obama announced $400M in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for a new agency – the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA-E, an Agency created in 2007 through the America COMPETES Act. ARPA-E was created to fund high risk, high reward transformational research to reduce energy related emissions, reduce imports of energy from foreign sources, improve energy efficiency in all economic sectors, and ensure American technological lead in advanced energy technologies. In only 15 months the agency has awarded over $350M in support of 121 projects across the energy landscape, including renewable energy, biofuels, building efficiency, carbon capture, and the electrification of transportation. This lecture will describe the history and mission of ARPA-E, how the Agency and its projects differ from other branches of the Department of Energy, and highlight some of the revolutionary technologies currently supported by ARPA-E.
10:15-5:00 Harvard University, Maxwell Dworkin G115