Overview of MANA's Research
What is "Nanoarchitectonics”?
Nanoarchitectonics (nanoarchitecture) is a concept that aims to create innovative new materials by combining "nano-parts" made of atoms and molecules to discover new and unexpected phenomena.
The term 'nano' denotes one billionth of a meter, the world at the atomic and molecular scale. It differs significantly from the realm of microtechnology (one millionth of a meter) that has contributed to dvancements like semiconductor micromachining, as materials exhibit entirely different behaviors at the nanoscale.
By taking advantage of this property, we can construct new materials that function by linking nanostructures together.
This new concept of nanotechnology is what we call "Nanoarchitectonics".
The distinctive features of nanoarchitectonics can be summarized in the following four key points.
Unreliability-tolerant reliability
In the world of microtechnology, structures can be constructed according to a design drawing or “blueprint.” This is generally not possible in the world of nanotechnology because the world of nanotechnology is far smaller than that of microtechnology. In nanotechnology, thermal and statistical fluctuations become apparent, and at the same time, nanotechnology confronts the limits of the principles of control methods. Therefore, the viewpoint of realizing reliable functions with structures that contain ambiguity is important.
From nano-functionality to nanosystem-functionality
Nanoscale structures (nanoparts) frequently display interesting new properties, but there are limits to their functionalities, either as individual units or as simple aggregates. Thus, creating completely new functionalities by effectively utilizing interactions among nanoparts of the same type or different types is important.
Quantity changes quality
In complex systems that consist of an enormous number of nanoparts, unexpected new functions often emerge in the system as a whole. Therefore, utilizing, and not overlooking, the phenomenon that “quantity changes quality” is another key point.
Truth can be described with plain words
Finally, it is also necessary to pioneer a new theoretical field, which is capable of handling the three above-mentioned points. In this, it is necessary to construct a theoretical system that not only treats atoms, molecules, electrons, photons, spin, etc. on a first-principles basis, but also consciously introduces “appropriate bold approximation.”