Short summary of activities of the Giersigs Nanoparticle Technology Group

The goals of the Giersig Group lie in the preparation of nanometer-sized semiconductor, metallic, and magnetic particles, followed by the creation of periodically ordered nanostructures (1-D, 3-D) based on single nanoparticles. A small particle size implies high sensitivity and selectivity. These new effects and possibilities are mainly due to quantum effects that are a result of the increasing ratio of surface to volume atoms in low-dimensional systems. An important factor in this context so far has been the design and fabrication of nanocomponents with new functionalities and characteristics for the improvement of existing materials; including photonic materials, conductive materials, polymers and composites. With this concept of nanotechnology in mind, we aim at developing innovative materials and their application in photonics based solely on nanoscale technology.