Image Library - Materials and Nanotechnology

This series of images shows the intensity of ferroelectricity – the ability to retain a switchable electric polarization – over a range of temperatures. Argonne researchers, using the powerful X-ray beams at the Advanced Photon Source, have learned that extremely thin materials – only three atoms thick – can retain their electric polarization, opening the potential for a wide range of tiny devices. Argonne National Laboratory image.

The Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne is adjacent to the Advanced Photon Source. The center is one of five nationwide funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Center for Nanoscale Materials is a joint partnership between the Department of Energy and the State of Illinois. The State of Illinois provided $36 million to construct the 85,000-square foot building, and DOE provided an additional $36 million to develop and build the facility's advanced instrumentation. Argonne National Laboratory image.

Working with Innovation Plasma Systems , Argonne scientists Dieter Gruen (left), John Carlisle (center) and Orlando Auciello developed the first affordable large-area diamond film coating. The system was named one of the top developments in technology by R&D Magazine in 2003. Argonne National Laboratory photo.

Argonne scientists are working to develop new materials at the nanoscale. This atomic force microscopy image shows a nanopore array used as a template to make nanowires. The template shown is only 500 nanometers wide – less than the period at the end of this sentence. Argonne National Laboratory image.