Nanolithography finds its way to numerous old and new devices using a variety of functional materials. The length scale is to be compared to physically relevant length scales such as the wavelength of the electrons or photons or spin waves etc. There are new devices such as spinvalve devices, magnetic tunnel junctions in which the dynamics of magnetism plays a key role. Additionally nano tunnel devices play a key role for the coherent detection of very weak signals. Nano-dimensions have led to the emergence of a new field called nano-photonics in which subwavelength optics plays a prominent role. A fourth field of interest are the nano-mechanical properties and single-molecule transistors.
This field counts several researchers at Delft and Leiden, all strongly driven by the current-day experimental skills in making very small structures leading to unique properties.