EXC 172:
DFG-Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN)
Subject Area
Condensed Matter Physics
Term
from 2006 to 2014
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 32870154
The name of the DFG-Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN) represents both its programme and its vision: "Nanoscience" needs to be turned into "nanotechnology" before it can become one of the acclaimed key technologies of the 21st century. The CFN wants to participate in making the first crucial steps from pure science towards real-world applications, i.e., we aim to realise "functional nanostructures", focussing on optical, electronic and biological functions. Examples are photonic metamaterials using tailored "atoms for light" to achieve unprecedented optical properties, molecular electronics with devices at the foreseeable minimum-size limit, or custom-designed three-dimensional crystals made with the help of DNA.
With the funds for the transition from the current CFN to a cluster of excellence, we specifically aim at strongly expanding the emerging bridge to the other key technology of the 21st century, namely that based on life sciences. Often, this bridge has been unidirectional, and nanoscientists have merely provided advanced techniques and/or instruments, aiming at answering scientific questions from biology or medicine. The opposite direction, i.e., using biology or biological principles to fabricate functional nanostructures and nanomaterials on demand is less well explored. While the ultimate dream of living organisms assembling functional nanoscale chips or nanomaterials is presently mere "science fiction", we will make first steps towards this vision.
Our focus on optical, electronic, and biological functions is reflected in five existing CFN research areas, i.e., "Nano-Photonics", "Nano-Electronics", "Molecular Nanostructures", "Nanostructured Materials", and "Nano-Biology". In the framework of the expansion of the CFN, three new projects are added to the existing structure, i.e., "Bio-Photonics", "Bio-Assembly of Nanostructured Crystals", and "Motors, Microtubules and Mechanosensing". In addition, a new CFN professorship as a joint appointment of the Universität Karlsruhe (TH) and the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and a new CFN "young scientist group" (Independent Junior Research Group) in nanobiology will further strengthen our research focus.
DFG Programme
Clusters of Excellence
