Interfaces

Discreteness of matter and charge is considered to be one of the most fundamental and powerful knowledge in the history of science. Interfaces where atomic and molecular ordering experience an abrupt discontinuity as one medium transitions into a different medium engender very powerful forces that are dependent on material, size, and curvature. These forces and fields, and their gradients at interfaces, lead to many intriguing properties and govern many observed natural phenomena. Manipulation and control of these forces result in a plethora of applications ranging from process control to chemical and biological sensor design and development. However, basic understanding of the interfacial effects including structure and properties at higher spatial, temporal, and energy (spectral) resolution is still in its infancy.

One of the most intriguing, but less investigated, interfacial phenomena is the manifestation of the surface effects as measurable mechanical forces. While considerable progress has been made in understanding the structure and physical properties at a microscale, our understanding of nanoscale interfacial mechanics is incomplete. However, recent advances in the measurements of displacements (forces) at the nanoscale level is paving the way for a very exciting convergence of many traditionally disparate fields and disciplines ranging from molecular biology to quantum mechanics, device physics, and engineering. Recent breakthroughs in measurement science and instrumentation have promises to bring about a revolution in the field of nanoscience. The potential opportunities of combining novel nanoinstrumentation with other disciplines could fuel the emergence of nanoscale mechanics as one of the most active research areas in the foreseeable future. The advances in nanomechanics will play a significant role in research and discoveries in fields ranging from molecular biology to material science and engineering, to chemical structure and dynamics, and even to particle physics.