Research Interests:

My interests are in the area of science and technology at the ultimate limits of fabrication, measurement and function. This fascination started when I joined IBM in 1983 when I was fortunate enough to learn a new way to see atoms and molecules. This ability to see or touch atoms and molecules is one of the inspirational forces behind potentially revolutionary technologies we will see in our lifetimes and we are just starting to make what were dreams realities of the future. This will require a whole new generation of scientists and engineers and that is why I am pleased to be at UCLA.

My current interests fall into three areas of research:

1) Architectonics of three dimensional nanostrutures and nanosystems. Specifically, we recently made a unique breakthrough in the fabrication of the first single crystals of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT's). All of the tubes are identical and metallic.They are the strongest material mankind has ever made. If we can control the production methods of these tubes we could make the concept of a space elevator, as proposed by the science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, a reality. There are numerous applications for this new material especially in the area of energy.
single walled carbon nanotube. 3-d image of a molecule. 3) Chemistry, physics, and mechanics of single molecules.	2) Biomolecular nanomechanical systems. The electronics industry has invested vast sums of money into research in the area of silicon, microfabrication, and micromachining. However, only a small percentage of this research work and fabrication methodology finds itself into microelectronic products such as integrated circuits. On the other hand, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, while very advanced on the chemical side, is only beginning to realize possibilities of miniaturization of sensing arrays, diagnostic methods, and even more futuristically, smart drug delivery systems. My research is aimed at using much of the untapped silicon micromachining and fabrication technologies for bio-sensing and actuation applications using nanomechanics. biorecognition.
This research is aimed at exploring the inter-relationship of quantum mechanics, chemical design and synthesis, and molecular mechanics at the level of individual molecules. Research is highly interdisciplinary combining the skills of synthetic chemists, theorists, and nanoscale scientists, particularly in the area of imaging and spectroscopy. The research is quite fundamental and has a clear long-range goal: programmed functionality of a single molecule. Possible areas of future application include quantum computing, molecular machines, and high-density peta-bit memories. A theoretical goal also includes the operation of a machine that would approach an energy-efficiency close to the limit set by the second law of thermodynamics.