Dresselhaus PrizeSome Recollections about Our Research on Nanoscience and Nanomaterials

The dramatic increase in basic and applied research related to nanoscience in the past sixty years has contributed greatly to our understanding of fundamental physical phenomena and properties of materials in general. It has also provided new approaches for developing devices. In many cases theorists and experimentalists have worked in close collaboration allowing tests of the theories and detailed interpretations of experimental discoveries. This presentation will focus on the paths to the development of theoretical methods appropriate for nanoscale calculations, applications of the methods, and specific examples of achievements particularly those made with experimental participation. Some theoretical concepts providing useful insights will be discussed. Examples of these include the effects of confinement, symmetry properties, reduced dimensionality, atomic structure, and the role of the electronic properties of the constituent atoms.