This course covers the synthesis and advanced characterisation of nanostructures. The course will begin with an introduction to growth mechanisms and common growth techniques based on physical and chemical vapour deposition. This will also cover approaches to stabilisation of nanostructures such as quantum heterostructures, nanowires, multilayers, fibre/matrix heterostructures. Lectures will overview in-situ characterisation techniques used for monitoring growth. Tuning polar and magnetic order in thin films will be explored in more detail.

 The second half of the course will discuss a variety of techniques for thin film and nanostructure characterisation. This includes chemical characterisation via photoemission-based X-ray spectroscopy and structural investigation of materials via thin film X-ray diffraction and synchrotron-based X-ray imaging.

This lecture course will cover:

• Introduction and applications of nanoscale heterostructures including thin films and nanowires
• Nanostructure synthesis: physical and chemical vapour deposition processes
• In-situ characterisation of growth dynamics and functional properties
• Advanced chemical and structural characterisation: spectroscopy and diffraction