NANOTAM is an interdisciplinary research center, which houses
nanotechnology-related research projects conducted in the Faculties of
Science and Engineering. It serves all departments in both faculties, as
well as researchers from other Turkish universities who wish to use the
center's facilities.
The researchers at NANOTAM are involved in eight national and four
international nanoelectronics and nanophotonics-related research
projects. In one such project, Prof. Özbay and his research group are
cooperating with the electronics company ASELSAN and the Ministry of
National Defense to develop prototypes of new optical detection
subsystems using nanotechnology.
NANOTAM is also investigating a new class of "nanotransistors" that have
the ability to improve wireless internet service capabilities by a
factor of 100. This might mean that a single wireless internet server at
Bilkent could serve the needs of the whole university. Prof. Özbay is
the principal investigator of the center's nanolaser project, which is
supported by TÜBİTAK, the Scientific & Technological Research Council of
Turkey. This project involves investigating the potential of nanolasers
to be used for quantum communication purposes. TÜBİTAK also supports a
project led by Prof. Aktaş, which has the goal of fabricating nitride-based
transistors. Prof. Demir leads yet another TÜBİTAK project, which is
aimed at achieving optical modulators at ultraviolet wavelengths.
There are currently three European Union Framework Programme-6 (EU-FP6)
research projects being conducted at the center. In two separate EU-FP6
projects (EU-DALHM and EU-METAMORPHOSE), negative index metamaterials
are being investigated to increase the storage capacity of a DVD by a
factor of 100. In the nanophotonics-related EU-PHOREMOST project,
NANOTAM researchers use photons to access information at the molecular
level.
The center aims to increase Bilkent's national and international
visibility in the nanotechnology research area, along with developing
new nanotechnology devices and products suited to the needs of Turkish
industry.
Pınar Kefeli (COMD/III)
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