infocus #18 June 2010 Small is Beautiful

Nanomaterials are functional structures designed at an atomic or molecular scale with at least one characteristic dimension meaningfully measured in nanometers.

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.56

Zinc oxide (ZnO), tin oxide (SnO2) and titanium oxide (TiO2) nanostructures exhibit novel and significantly improved electrical and optical properties because of their feature size. These nanomaterials can be potentially used as lasers, LEDs (light emitting diodes) and water purification systems with improved efficiency or as very small scale devices.

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Author

Yang Huiying

Huiying leads a research group in nanoscience and nanotechnology at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The group focuses on studying nanomaterials and their unique electrical and optical properties and applications in photonics science and biomedical science. Huiying was attracted by the beauty of the nano-world and enjoys inventing and discovering unknowns. She has extensive research experience in the following: applications of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy; nano-probe electron energyloss spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for quantitative structure determination of the crystals and interfaces of nanostructures; synthesis and characterization of nanostructures and thin oxide films; promoting low-threshold and high-efficiency nano-light emitting devices on plastic substrates and nanostructures based bio-sensors. Huiying has published over 50 research papers in academic journals. In 2005, she first reported about ZnO nanoparticles based inorganic flexible UV lasers in the journal Small. She then went on to demonstrate low-threshold ZnO nanoneedles lasing on Si and plastic substrates, published in Applied Physics Letters. The ZnO nanolasers on plastic substrate, which can be manipulated, or made to bend as flexible nanolasers, created great interest in the nano-optics world, and was selected as one of the top 12 inventions in the 5th Young Inventors Awards. Huiying’s paper on wavelength-tunable nanolasers was one of the most cited papers in Applied Physics Letters in 2006. Huiying won first prize in Nanoscience-as-Art Competition in NTU during her PhD program. Her research on Nano-material also created some interesting artwork, which won second prize in the Materials Research Society (MRS) “Science as Art” competition. Huiying was awarded the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad 2005 in February 2006 and was interviewed for the Discovery Channel in February 2009. Huiying was awarded the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Postdoctoral Fellowship in August 2008 which will support her research, providing both a stipend and research grant. Huiying says: “In my experience, the golden rule of research is: ‘Create with inspiration, innovate with perspiration’. I will continue to conduct my work in this nano world and work hard to bring new ideas and innovations to economically and environmental-friendly optical and electrical nano-devices.”