Big results come from working at a small scale

Researchers working at the intersection of physics, materials science, engineering, and chemistry are making advances in nanoscience—the synthesis, characterization, and manipulation of structures, objects, and features at the scale of atoms and molecules—at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

How atoms and molecules assemble at the nanoscale helps determine many of a material’s properties, including its electrical, mechanical, and thermal behavior. Further, at this length scale, surface boundary and quantum mechanical effects become significant and may confer properties on a material that are difficult or impossible to study at larger scales. Using some of the most advanced imaging and analytical instruments and fabrication tools and processes available, Lawrence Livermore researchers are studying these phenomena and using their findings to develop diverse and sophisticated materials in support of the Laboratory’s national security and fundamental science missions.

We invite you to learn more about Lawrence Livermore’s three core nanoscience research areas below.