Single Nanostructures, Nanomaterials, Aerogels and their Interactions: Combining Quantum Physics and Chemistry

With its great and inspiring scientific atmosphere, the MPIPKS forms an ideal environment for the mutual discussion of experts in complementary fields of nanostructure physics and nano-chemistry.  The workshop on Single Nanostructures, Nanomaterials, Aerogels and their Interactions (CQPC18) brought together theoreticians and experimentalists in the fields of materials physics, spectroscopy and chemistry to exchange and develop ideas on the physical and chemical properties of nano-structures and nano-materials. The topics covered investigation, preparation and theory of nano-materials with a focus on their non-equilibrium collective dynamics. Typical examples included nanostructured assemblies such as atomically thin semiconductor materials, perovskites, nanocrystal solids, metamaterials, and aerogels. This choice of materials allowed for a direct knowledge exchange between well established and newly emerging nanoscale systems: highly debated examples included the interplay of bright and dark excitations in strained and stacked materials, nano-crystals and nano-platelets as well as magnetic spin effects in semiconductor quantum dots. 

Within these emerging topics, CPQC2018 brought together more than 70 scientists, both experienced and early stage researchers from all over Europe, the US, Israel and Asia, including China, India, Pakistan and Singapore, providing a productive, international and diverse character of the meeting. This way, the meeting has covered cutting-edge research in the field of nano-scale physics with a strong inter-disciplinary character including five days of lectures filled with lively discussion sections and three evening sessions that were dedicated to flash presentation and the discussion of the various posters. In particular, young scientists could present their results in talks or posters to promote their career and connect to mature scientists.

The topics of the talks and posters addressed a multitude of aspects of excitation transfer on the nano-scale such as ultrafast relaxation and high excitation phenomena, cavity photon dynamics, nano-scale chirality, pump-probe and high harmonics spectroscopy, electron capture in strain induced potentials up to functionality in medicine and nano-particle assembly, applications of nanocrystals for lighting and capturing of solar light, the unique properties of aerogels, the art of assembly of a single nanocrystals and nanocrystal architectures, etc.

Most of the experimental questions which have been addressed were accompanied by theoretical and high-end computational work, such as path integrals, new integration schemes and ab-initio theoretical optical spectroscopy, allowing an extensive discussion of the underlying physics and chemistry across the disciplines. This way, all participants have been inspired by exchanging ideas from different fields and cutting-edge developments in the field of nanoscale assemblies.

We really need to thank the local organizers for this, very successful scientific event, in particular Katrin Lantsch for her absolutely perfect organization of the meeting and the great, always sustained support in the process of preparation and while running the meeting. Her support was essential and the overall success of CPQC2018 would not have been possible without her.