Davide Mariotti, Professor of Plasma Science and Nanoscale Engineering, will deliver his Inaugural Professorial Lecture entitled “From nanoland to flatland: a journey on a plasma-powered shuttle” at 6.30pm on 2 February 2017 in the Loughview Suite, Ulster University, Jordanstown campus.

Plasma science and technology has had an impact in every aspect of our modern lives. Most of the objects or devices we use today exist because of the past progress in plasma scientific research over many decades. Plasma science is now driving new growing disciplines such as nanotechnology, delivering custom-built nano-objects. The search for nanoland was probably never meant to be the end of the journey but the door to a different dimension, specifically, a reduced dimension where what matters is not the size of the object but its surface and interface.  Coincidentally small or nano-objects tend to have relatively large surfaces for their volume and that is why nanotechnology was the key to unlock the wonder of flatland, the two-dimensional world. The 2010 Nobel Prize for a carbon-based 2-dimensional structure is certainly a hint. However there is much more than that, because our three-dimensional world will, more and more, come to depend on the strange two-dimensional flatlands that lurk everywhere and in-between everything. 

Here is my journey on plasma science and technology, which has always pushed me to discover, far from being marginal, meaningful and successful interfaces.

The response will be given by Dr Vladimir Švrček, National Institute of Advanced Science and Technology (AIST).

This lecture is open to everyone.