AlbaNova-NanoLab
Albanova-NanoLab (ANL) has existed in its current form since 2001, when KTH Physics moved into Albanova, it was, however, first opened in 1997 when Physics was still located at Lindstedsvägen.
From a national perspective, ANL has an important role. In the Stockholm area, it is unique and essential for both nano-scale research and teaching. The activities in the laboratory are mainly driven by academic research. Beyond that, the lab also serves high-tech startups and spinoffs. To both academic and industrial users, ANL offers affordable access to a wide range of nanofabrication equipment and processes in the forefront of research.
The laboratory has also (together with KTH-Electrum, CTH-MC2, UU-Ångström and LU-Nanolab) become part of the national network for micro- and nanofabrication Myfab and is therefore valuable for Swedish nano-industry in general. For several areas of basic research and modern technologies, the structures manufactured at the ANL are essential. Not the least for groups working in the area of Quantum Technology, with sensors and detectors that operate at the fundamental limit of interaction, quantum encrypted communications with performance that cannot be achieved even with the fastest of the classical methods. ANL's users also include those who manufacture advanced photonic circuits, x-ray mirrors, semiconducting and magnetic nanodevices, to name a few, used in various IT applications.
ANL is a KTH-SU collaboration and in 2019 had about eighty unique users. The user base consists of a number of groups within KTH, SU, external academic researchers as well as companies that need access to modern micro- and nanofabrication equipment. In teaching, the laboratory is used at both the bachelor, master, and PhD level. During a given year, about five "Exjobbare" and a few "KEX-jobbare" use the lab for their thesis work, however, the main users are PhD students, who use the laboratory as part of their research. The doctoral courses “Introduction to Scanning Probe Microscopy” SK3740 (also available as master's course SK2740), “Nanofabrication with Focused ion and Electron Beams” SK3750 are also given in the lab.
The laboratory equipment includes state-of-the-art direct writing systems based on electron beam lithography (the VOYAGER EBL system from RAITH), ion beam lithography (a SEM/FIB from FEI, also equipped with EDX for chemical analysis), several thin film deposition systems, as well as two reactive ion etching systems
from Oxford instruments. The lab also offers access to both traditional mask-based photolithography with a 'mask aligner' from Karl Suss, and direct writing UV-lithography with the Smartprint system from Smartforce, which is in the process of upgrading to a versatile direct-write photo-lithography system.
The laboratory also hosts Sweden's largest atomic force microscopy lab, with four different AFM microscopes from Bruker and JPK that specialize in topographical, electrical, biological, magnetic, and other surface nano-profile measurements. A complete list over the available equipment can be found at the laboratory's website.
The Director of the laboratory, Professor Vladislav Korenivski, describes the laboratory as "ideal for basic research and high-risk innovation" and refers to the steady growth that has taken place over the last several years, especially in view of the relocation of about 80 nano-scientists from KTH Kista to the new buildings at the Albano campus in early 2020, as well as SU’s expansion of their Quantum Technology footprint at the vastly expanded Albanova Science Centre. Prof. Korenivski states that “Our plan is to continue to play a key role in ensuring that our users stay at the forefront of internationally competitive nanoscale R&D.”
High-impact examples is the work conducted at ANL by the "Single Quantum" and "Intermodulation Products" startups, with more information available at ANL's website in the “Recent Impact cases” section.