Doug Natelson is interested in nanoscale physics, in particular the electrical and magnetic properties of systems with characteristic dimensions approaching the single-nm scale. A variety of unusual phenomena arise in this size regime, and an understanding of the properties of matter on these scales may well have a profound impact on future technologies.

To explicitly see the impact of quantum mechanics on the properties of matter (e.g. quantum interference contributions to electrical conduction) typically requires small systems (~ 1 micron, or 1/100 the diameter of a human hair) and low temperatures (often < 4.2 K, or -269 degrees Celcius). However, at the atomic size limit quantum effects can dominate even at room temperature. The transition from quantum to classical behavior is called "decoherence" or "dephasing". As systems approach the nanoscale the interplay between quantum effects, the "decohering" influence of the environment, electronic correlations like magnetism and superconductivity, and disorder lead to an impressively rich area of study.

Techniques now exist for controllably fabricating structures with characteristic lengths below 10 nm, through both "top-down" methods (combining electron beam lithography, directional etching, and metal deposition) and "bottom-up" approaches (chemical fabrication, self-assembly). We can now examine "traditional" solid state systems at previously unexplored scales by making samples in this newly accessible regime. Further, we can utilize our skills to develop tools (e.g. sets of nm-spaced electrodes, sensitive nanomagnetometers) for studying novel materials such as fullerenes and other molecular and molecular-scale objects.

Areas of interest include electronic, magnetic, and optical studies of atomic- and molecular-scale devices; nanostructure-based studies of strongly correlated materials, and organic semiconductors. Eventual technological relevance may be possible in areas such as molecular electronics and quantum information processing.

In addition to learning a lot of neat physics, people in this research group will develop skills in micro- and nanofabrication, sensitive electrical measurements, various microscopy techniques, semiconductor physics, low temperature physics, and vacuum systems. Anyone interested in working in this group is encouraged to send email (natelson@rice.edu), and all those interested in this area in general are welcome to look at the reference materials for Doug's special topics course from Fall 2000, (PHYS600: Introduction to Nanoscale Science and Technology).

D. Natelson, "Correlated electron systems: better than average", Nature Nano. 4, 406-407 (2009).

D. Natelson, "Towards the ultimate transistor", Physics World 22, 27-31 (2009). Also re-published in abridged form in Compound Semiconductor magazine.

A. A. Fursina, R. G. S. Sofin, I. V. Shvets, and D. Natelson "The origin of hysteresis in resistive switching in magnetite is Joule heating", Phys. Rev. B 79, 245131 (2009)

A. Sinitskii, A. A. Fursina, D. Kosynkin, A. Higginbotham, D. Natelson, and J. M. Tour, "Electronic transport in monolayer graphene nanoribbons produced by chemical unzipping of carbon nanotubes", Appl. Phys. Lett., in press (2009).

G. D. Scott, Z. K. Keane, J. W. Ciszek, J. M. Tour, and D. Natelson. "Universal scaling of nonequilibrium transport in the Kondo regime of single molecule devices", Phys. Rev. B 79, 165413 (2009)

J. Yao, J. Zhong, L. Zhong, D. Natelson, and J. M. Tour, "Two-terminal nonvolatile memories based on single-walled carbon nanotubes", ACS Nano, in press (2009).

M. R. Calvo, J. Fernandez-Rossier, J. J. Palacios, D. Jacob, D. Natelson, and C. Untiedt. "The Kondo Effect in ferromagnetic atomic contacts", Nature 458, 1150-1153 (2009).