Catalan Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

Catalan Institute of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (ICN2)

Contact persons:

Elena Del Corro

The Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)(www.ICN2.cat), created in 2003, is a research centre with currently about 200 people among researchers, technical support and administration. The research covers new material properties resulting from their nanometric scale; the development of methods for nanofabrication, growth, analysis, characterisation and manipulation of structures of nanometric dimension for nanoelectronics, spintronics, nanophotonics and nanophononics. ICN2 was awarded the coveted label of Excelencia Severo Ochoa by the Spanish Government, acknowledging its research excellence, the first in Spain in Nanoscience. The institute is the home of several ERC award holders and has an active technology transfer department.

Beyond CMOSMore MooreMore than MooreSystem Integration

Main expertises

  • In-memory computing
  • Neuromorphic computing
  • Ferroelectric domain physics
  • Ferroelectric domain wall physics
  • Magneto-ionic actuation (magnetic memristors)
  • Self-power electronics based on toxic-free 2D ferroelectric and ferroic materials (oxides, halide perovskites and MXenes)
  • Quantum computation
  • Phonons impact on noise in quantum systems
  • Phonon transport in layered materials
  • Nanoscale thermal transport physics and instrumentation
  • Optomechanics
  • Topological phononics
  • Thermal properties of ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics
  • Electrocaloric effect
  • Direct Spatially resolved Phonon detection by EELS-STEM
  • Atomic scale STEM related characterization of the related heterostructure
  • Nano-optoelectromechanical systems (NOEMS)
  • High quality 2D materials synthesis
  • Ultrafast processes in graphene and related 2D materials
  • Polycrystalline and amorphous 2D materials
  • Free-standing oxide layers
  • Domain Walls/oxide interfaces
  • Thermal and elastic properties characterization
  • 2D ferroelectric materials and MXEnes, Pb-free materials
  • Atomic scale STEM related characterization of Nanowires and nanowire network systems
  • Halide perovskites, Toxic-free halide perovskites, ferroelectric halideperovskties
  • Rare-earth ions
  • Atomic scale STEM related characterization of quantum systems
  • Spin, spin waves and heat interactions
  • Computational nanoelectronics from ab initio
  • Computational spintronics and electronics
  • Self-power electronics based on 2D ferroelectric and ferroic materials (oxides, halide perovskites and MXenes)

Research interests

  • Ferroelectric domain physics for Neuromorphic computation
  • Ferromagnetic materials for advanced computing
  • Multiferroic computing materials
  • Self-power, printed devices.
  • Molecular electronics, ionic-electronic halide perovskites
  • Defect engineering for the manipulation of conductance and retention (especially in ionic-electronic conductors)
  • Superconducting qubits
  • Phonons as state variable
  • Thermoelectric devices
  • Frequency combs, synchronisation and chaos
  • Topological phononic waveguides
  • Thermal conductivity, thermal management and link to noise
  • Strain control of electronic band structure in 2D materials
  • 2D layers for 2DEG quantum systems
  • Phonon-based devices in NOEMS based on phonon coupling to toher state variables
  • MXenes
  • Graphene-integrated silicon photonics
  • Ultrafast dynamics of energy, charge and heat
  • Thermal conduction in 2D materials with periodic structures, defects and interfaces
  • Defect engineering
  • Vacancies and dipole formation
  • Graphene nanoribbons
  • Nanowire networks
  • Hybrid (semiconductor/superconductor) nanowire networks
  • SiGe and III-V 2DEG systems
  • Phononic crystals to control surface-noise in ion traps
  • Spintronics and new methods to study spin dynamics
  • Molecular electronincs, nanointerfaces in low-dimensional systems and thermal properties
  • Printed methods for device fabrication

Main expertises

  • Reconfigurable logics
  • Electronic transport simulation using NEGF solvers.
  • Simulation using self-consistent Schrödinger Poisson solvers
  • Terahertz nonlinearities
  • Atomic scale STEM related characterization
  • Magnetic random access memories
  • Modeling for magnetic, ferroelectric, and multiferroic materials.
  • Simulation of spin torque phenomena (STT-MRAM, SOT-MRAM)
  • Ferroelectric memory devices
  • Self-power electronics (transistors) based on 2D ferroelectric and ferroic materials (oxides, halide perovskites and MXenes)
  • Phonon-electron and phonon-photon coupling in nano-optoemectronic devices
  • Materials and devices for selff-power electronics (transistors, memoristors) based on 2D ferroelectric and ferroic materials (oxides, halide perovskites and MXenes)
  • Hot carriers in graphene and related 2D materials

Research interests

  • 2-dimensional spintronics, including grapheme
  • Spin devices.
  • quantum logic devices
  • MoS2 transistors architecture for elementary logic component
  • Optical computing
  • Terahertz for 6G
  • Unconventional ways of controlling the magnetization. Spin orbit torques (e.g. from spin-Hall effect)
  • Voltage control of magnetism (magnetoelectric effects)
  • Understanding fundamental effects
  • Coupled state variables
  • Energy-efficient memory and computing devices
  • Hot-carrier photonics and (opto)electronics

Main expertises

  • DFT calculations of materials properties
  • Chemical sensors simulations
  • Graphene based electrodes and Graphene SGFET for biosensing
  • Aptamer-based inkjet-printed flexible microfluidic devices
  • Graphene-based electrochemical biosensors Wearables Bioelectronics
  • Spin caloritronics
  • Thermoelecticity
  • Ground state DFT calculations, and Molecular Dynamics
  • Piezo electricity
  • (Ultrafast) energy, charge and heat dynamics in condensed matter
  • Bulk photovoltaic effect in ferroelectrics
  • Piezoelectricity and Flexoelectricity
  • Atomic scale STEM related characterization
  • Photovoltaics, solution processable materials for printed perovskite solar cells.
  • Integration of energy harvesters with photovoltaics ( solar, mechanical, vibrational energy, etc.)

Implantable triboelectric nanogenerators

  • Spin torque induced ferromagnetic resonance
  • Quantum control
  • Coupling phonons to RF
  • Terahertz spectroscopy and technologies
  • NFC/RFID wireless biosensors and gas sensors
  • Nanopatterning surfaces and metamaterial design for photonic components
  • Photodetectors
  • Nonlinear light converters
  • Atomic scale STEM related characterization
  • Radiative cooling surfaces
  • Photonic biosensors
  • Electronic properties from first-principles
  • Simulation of charge transport in organic matter (polaron transport)
  • 2D spintronics
  • Modeling different physical properties (structural, piezoelectric, magnetic, thermal, etc.)
  • Graphene and 2D materials electronics
  • Flexible graphene solution-gated field-effect transistors
  • Flexible electronics based on 2D materials for interfacing with the nervous system; implantable medical devices
  • Hydrophobic micro-nanostructured films
  • Defectivity and dimensional metrology of nanopatterned devices
  • Nanoparticles-based printed passive components
  • Free-standing oxide films/membranes
  • Thermal and electronic (experimental) transport in disordered (and crystalline) organic matter
  • Stable organic glasses for optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices
  • Solution processable materials (2D, halide perovskites, oxides) for printed electronics (lab scale and larger areas): inks and pastes

Research interests

  • Piezoelectrics, chemical sensors simulations
  • Nanobiosensors and flexible lab-on-a-chip
  • Nanobiosensors for healthcare and environmental fields applications
  • Thermoelectric effects in ferromagnetic systems and heterostructures
  • Thermoelectricity in topological insulators
  • Spin thermoelectric effects
  • Simulation of thermal transport in complex materials. Photovoltaics, multifunctional materials (flexoelectric, piezoelectrics, thermoelectrics, etc).
  • Self powered neural stimulators
  • Supercapacitors
  • Thermal conductivity in Si membranes and phononic crystals and in other semiconductors, nanocomposites, organic-inorganic layers, etc.
  • Nano-scale piezo electric devices for autonomous energy generation
  • Perovskite solar cells
  • Thermoelectrics
  • Thermal rectification
  • Nano-scale thermoelectric devices for zero-power devices
  • Semiconductor based Solar cells (Si and new materials Zn3P2)
  • Materials synthesis and ink fabrication
  • Defect density manipulation
  • Additive engineering
  • Photovoltaic stability
  • Self-powered devices
  • Spin orbit torques
  • Superconducting qubits
  • Wireless sensors for neural sensing
  • Phonon circuits
  • Terahertz for 6G
  • Modelling of antennas transmission
  • IoT approach for big data generation
  • Low-cost wireless sensors
  • Active surfaces and metasurfaces
  • Photodetection
  • Nonlinear photonics
  • Transceivers for data com
  • Nanowire based single photon emitters and detectors.
  • Thermal management of energy devices
  • PEDOT-PSS electrodes and PEDOT-PSS transistors for neural sensing
  • Composite materials
  • Simulation of charge transport in organic matter (polaron transport)
  • Graphene, topological insulators and transition metal dichalcogenides
  • Graphene and 2D materials electronics
  • Wearable sensors
  • MoS2 transistors architecture for flexible elementary logic component
  • Roll-to-roll patterning of hierarchical structures
  • Development of dimensional metrology for features < 20 nm • Inks and substrates for inkjet printing • Decoupling charge and thermal transport in organic materials through molecular orientation • Materials syntheses and ink fabrication • Printing methods for device fabrication • Flexible and stretchable technology based on 2D materials for neural interfaces; implantable devices for brain therapies

Main expertises

  • NFC wireless IoT sensors
  • Close-loop (neuro)modulation systems

Research interests

  • Modelling of antennas transmission
  • IoT approach for big data generation
  • Low-cost wireless sensors
Meet the team

Minatec –  CROMA
3 Parvis Louis Néel, CS 50257
38016 Grenoble Cedex 1,  France

+33 456 52 95 09
 sinano@minatec.grenoble-inp.fr