Masters project

My Masters Project for BSci in Physics was on “Electrically contacting nanocrystals using a selectively etched nanogap”. I measured the electrical conductivity of a device where a nanoparticles served as the contact between conductors. Due to the small size of nanoparticles, we get an effect known as Coulomb blockade. This results in the device no longer following Ohm’s resistance law and instead has staricase-like resistance (see Figure below). The Coulomb blockade could be used to build single-electron transistors (SET) for low-power computation and highly sensitive sensors.

In this project, I learned about electrical measurements, working with cryogenic temperatures, and data analysis. Most importantly, it made me interested in doing research in the area of Nanotechnology.

Download report