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Revolutionary advances beyond existing technology as well as the development
of entirely new technologies will require systems in which all or nearly all
functions are derived from nanoscale elements. To meet this challenge the Lieber
Group is actively pursuing a number of "applications" at the device
and systems levels. The emphasis of this research is on addressing the critical
basic science issues that are required to enable a specific technology, for
example, by bringing together fundamental efforts in synthesis, physical measurements
and/or assembly to focus on a particular problem. In so doing, knowledge gained
in such studies can be applied to other systems and to open new ones as we strive
to realize true nanotechnologies. Specific areas that are currently being pursued
are outlined below.
Biological/Chemical Sensing & Detection. We have pioneered
the application of nanoscale field-effect transistors to the real-time label-free
detection of biological species in fluid solution.  We
are pursuing a number of areas, principally focused on biology and medicine,
which exploit the properties of these nanowire devices and/or serve as testing
grounds for exploring their fundamental limits; project areas include:
- Single particle detection
- Ultrasensitive detection of proteins for cancer
- Chemical and biological warfare agents
- Large-scale addressable arrays for screening in biology and medicine
- Commercialization of nanowire sensors
 Digital
Electronics & Computing. We have very active programs focused on
development and demonstration of nanowire devices, arrays and systems for digital
electronics and computing. We are pursuing work on a number of levels with efforts
focused, for example, on developing novel devices based on modulated nanowire
structures, exploiting unique assembly characteristics to create single-crystal-like
devices on unconventional substrates, and pushing towards larger and larger
interconnects and addressable arrays necessary for processing systems. Specific
areas of current interest include the following:
- Nonvolatile random access memory
- High-performance transistors and logic
- Flexible electronics
- New computing architectures and systems
 Photonics.
The bottom-up vision of nanotechnology implemented using optically active nanowire
building blocks provides a unique and highly-flexible pathway for creating multicolor
nanophotonic structures, and moreover, for integrating photonics with a number
of existing technologies. The Lieber group has pioneered and is actively pursuing
key areas centered on electrically-driven nanophotonics sources, including nanowire
light-emitting diodes and lasers, highly-sensitive nanoscale photon detectors,
and a range of device elements designed to enable integrated nanophotonics circuits.
Specific areas of effort include the following:
- Electrical injection lasers
- Single photon detectors
- Multi-color LED/laser arrays
- Photonic circuits & processors
Future Nanosystems. A general philosophy and theme of research
in the Lieber group is to search for and explore the unknown where often unexpected
and potentially revolutionary advances can occur. To this end we are also embarking
upon complex research projects focused on the general area of information processing,
including:
- Three-dimensional nanoprocessing systems
- Hybrid digital-biological processors
- Spin and quantum-based electronics
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