Nano at UK

The first image I want to share with you is the electronic beam scanning microscope that was in the basement. 

Unfortunately this machine didn't work for our group and we weren't able to see the extent of what exactly it could do, but what I thought was really interesting about this machine is that the sample had to be kept in a vacuum in order to get a clear image. I think the reason why it had to be in a vacuum was because they didn't want any photons from the overhead lights to interfere with the images of the sample. This is also cool that it uses energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis which we have talked about x-ray technology today in class when learning about DNA.

The second image the AFM (atomic force microscope)

This was really cool to learn about and look at. I think its so cool that there is a incredibly tiny and sharp blade that pokes the sample and all of those tiny pokes can generate an image down to the nanoscopic level. The fun fact that we learned was that the blades wear out quickly and so big companies that take nanoscopic image's on the regular will have machines that's only job is to replace the tip when it gets dull so they can continuous image different samples.

The third image is the picture of the research done on "a hybrid time-amplitude analog arithmetic based optical acceleration"

This image was pretty interesting because he explained it to us as best as he could since we had no knowledge of electrical engineering, but what we all took away from this poster and from the room is that technology is heading in a direction where we will us photons instead of electrons in our electronical devices because they are much faster.

The final image was take in the room where we got dressed to go into the clean room. This image is of this microwave using plasma to clean something at the microscopic level.

This was the coolest thing we saw in my opinion because we saw what looked like a normal microwave and it had been converted into a plasma cleaner which the guy told us it got up to 600 K in the microwave which is just crazy since it looks like you could cook a pizza in there.

The first piece of technology that was really cool to me was the AFM and its just so interesting that this thing has a blade that is so small we can barely see it, and yet it can create a map at the nanoscopic level of various samples. It interesting that it has to poke the sample over and over again to create the image. but I think that it is super beneficial. This machine is used to make a lot of conductors and semiconductors and other parts of our electronics that we use everyday. After doing some research I've found that this machine can be used in molecular biology and that it can be used to map out cell and get detailed images of them which allows biologist to study the structure and different types of cells what we can't normally see. 

The second piece of technology is Nano scribe. This machine is super cool because it can create images and structure that can fit on the end of a piece of your hair. We learned more about this machine today in class but it's interesting how it has a light source that focuses on the sample and that carves into it. Its also incredibly cool that the light doesn't move to do the carving but that the sample platform moves around to create the image and it makes a 3D images since it moves in 3 dimensions. This has so much potential for applications because you can create small gears and springs and other mechanical tool which can eventually be learned to make new machines at the nano level. This new technology could revolutionize medicine and can be used to help treat people with low blood pressure and other diseases like that. 

The personal highlight of my UK experience was watching Dr. Johnson stick his whole head into a machine when the graduate student opened the door to it. I wasn't expecting him to do it and it made all of us in the group laugh.