Physics-Based Mathematical Models of Low-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanostructures: Analysis and Computation (07w5057)

Some of the world’s best nanoscientists and nanoengineers will converge on The Banff Centre from November 18 - 23, 2007, where the Banff International Research Station will be hosting a workshop on recent developments in the mathematical study of the physics of nanomaterials and nanostructures. This event is co-organized by Professors Lok C. Lew Yan Voon of Wright State University in Ohio, USA, Roderick Melnik of Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, and Morten Willatzen of the University of Southern Denmark, Denmark. Nanotechnology is the study and application of phenomena at or below the dimensions of 100 nm and has received a lot of public attention following popular accounts such as in the bestselling book by Michael Crichton, Prey. It is an area where fundamental questions of applied mathematics and mathematical physics, design of computational methodologies, physical insight and experimental techniques are meeting together in a quest for an adequate description of nanomaterials and nanostructures for applications in optoelectronics, medicine, energy-saving, bio- and other key technologies which will profoundly influence our life in the 21 century and beyond. There are already hundreds of applications in daily life such as in cosmetics and the hard drives in MP3 players (the 2007 Nobel prize in physics was recently awarded for the science that allowed the miniaturization of the drives), delivering drugs, high-definition DVD players and stain-resistant clothing, but with thousands more anticipated. The focus of this interdisciplinary workshop will be on determining what kind of new theoretical and computational tools will be needed to advance the science and engineering of nanomaterials and nanostructures.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta's Advanced Education and Technology, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).