Quantum phenomena in low-dimensional materials and nanostructures.

The proposed Summer School is designed for PhD students (in years 2-4) and junior postdoctoral researchers will address raising fundamental issues related to quantum physics discovered in new low-dimensional materials: graphene, topological insulators, heterostructures of transition metal oxide compounds, and in pnictide superconductors. The School will also review the state of the art in the development of spin qubits and superconducting qubits, in semiconductor photonics, and in nanomechanical systems. Reviews of the experimental discoveries and technological advancements will be complemented by lecture courses on theoretical techniques relevant for the further studies of quantum phenomena and strong correlations in low-dimensional systems/materials and nanostructures. The School will take place 9-21 August, 2010.

The primary goal of the School is to broaden horizon of young researchers in new materials and nanoscience, and to train them in theoretical methods applicable to both fundamental research in new materials and modeling of nano-devices. All this will enable the participating junior researchers to enter the emergent research fields on time for making a substantial contribution to their progress, thus, boosting the future career prospects. By informing the young generation of researchers about the discoveries on the forefront of materials research and improving their knowledge of new physics discovered in the low-dimensional materials, as well as technical skills in nanoscience, the qualified workforce will be trained and attracted to the technologically relevant science areas. This workforce will be immediately deployed in their respective home institutions in the UK and worldwide, however, the longer-lasting impact will be generated through the actual future research of the School attendees, after they start/continue their career in academia and industry. The analytical skills of attendees developed during the School and most importantly after it, via research stimulated by the School, will be broadly applicable and transferable to various fields of science and technology in academia and industries. School will be an international event attended by young scientists from the UK and around the world, who will, with a high success rate, establish research career in the emergent fields covered by the School. The contacts established during the School will be a very useful long-term investment for the participating UK researchers, who will be able to maintain these contacts for practical collaboration in the future. The visit to Diamond and ISIS will broaden this direction of the School impact, by allowing the young researchers to establish direct and timely links with experimental programmes on new materials run at the Harwell Centre. The broad international composition of the School and its focus on the 'hottest' new low-dimensional materials (graphene, topological insulators, heterostructures of transitional metal oxides, superconducting pnictides) will also help to attract to the UK skilled workforce from other EU countries.