Linköping Linnaeus Initiative for Novel Functional Materials

In 2006, Linköping University became one of the first environments selected by the Swedish Research Council (VR) for a 10 year Linnaeus Grant of 80 MSEK with additional support from the University. The purpose of the grant is to enhance support for research of the highest quality that can compete internationally. It also aims to encourage universities and colleges to prioritize research fields and to allocate funding for them.

Director
Prof. Lars Hultman

Principal Investigators and Research Divisions
Prof. Igor Abrikosov, Theory & Modeling
Prof. Göran Hansson, Surface & Semicond. Physics
Prof. Ulf Helmersson, Plasma and Coating Physics
Prof. Lars Hultman, Thin Film Physics
Prof. Erik Janzén, Materials Physics
Prof. Bo Monemar, Materials Physics
Prof. Magnus Odén, Nanostructured Materials
Prof. William Salaneck, Surface Phys. & Chemistry
Prof. Sven Stafström, Computational Physics
Prof. Roger Uhrberg, Surface & Semicond. Physics
Prof. Rositza Yakimova, Materials Physics

Objective

Our objective is in doing basic research to funda-mentally understand the atomistic nature of materials properties and behavior and learn how to make materials perform better at acceptable cost through new methods of synthesis and processing. We can thus extend the frontiers of materials and nano sciences to expand the scientific foundations for the development of materials that improve, e.g., the efficiency, economy, environmental acceptability, and safety in energy generation, conversion, trans-mission, and use.

The core activity of LiLi-NFM is within the largest and most rapidly developing area of physics research worldwide. In fact, the understanding of materials is the fundamental driving force in natural science and basic engineering research. Specifically, we will focus on increasing the understanding of the nature of epilayers, thin films, and nanoscale materials. Here, we are in the forefront worldwide regarding materials synthesis including wide-band gap materi-als (SiC, AlN, GaN, ZnO), nanocomposites, super-lattices, fullerene-like compounds, and organic molecular materials (semiconducting polymers).

The initiative researchers are committed toward building a strong interdisciplinary network. We operate state-of-the-art laboratories.

We see unsurpassed opportunities for knowledge-based design of new and multifunctional materials for electronics/IT, engineering, and the life sciences. Thus, we create materials and devices for the next and future generations. We also anticipate to be making basic discoveries of novel phases, structures, and phenomena in materials.

The research environment constitutes the backbone of materials research at Linköping. It consists of ~100 researchers organized in seven divisions within the same department.

Strategy

It is our strategy for excellence to develop and integrate theory, simulations, and experiment. With the Linnaeus Grant, we plan to recruit internationally leading professors in complementary fields and invest in junior researchers, as well as extend efforts promoting scientific exchange involving a number of post-docs and visiting scientists. This will help us to become truly interdisciplinary and to stimulate international exchange and collaboration. Our philosophy for operating the LiLi-NFM Environment contains the following elements:

• Natural science and basic engineering research
• Inter-and multi-disciplinary modus operandi
• Intra-disciplinary excellence.
• Strong national & international collaboration
• Results are used to springboard EU projects
• State-of-the-art laboratories
• Leading computational capacity
• Entrepreneurial researchers.
• Multifunctional & nanostructured materials
• New inorganic materials interfacing to organic
• Strategic recruitment of researchers.
• Active Ph.D. training, post-doc exchange and the development of early career resources.

As a first strategic external recruitment, Professor Magnus Odén, has accepted the offer to head a new division at IFM called Nanostructured Materials.

Self-assembled nanowires and microrods of AlN. (G.R Yazdi, M. Syväjärvi, R. Yakimova)

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Last updated: Wed Jun 03 12:17:55 CEST 2009