Physicists have always wanted to see in order to understand. The physicist's binoculars therefore span from techniques that allow us to see individual atoms, via traditional optical microscopy to laser-based imaging methods that allow us for instance to see objects from the air that are hidden in a dense forest. It also involves seeing in the dark, which is important when finding people lost at sea on a dark winter’s night. In such cases, we see the heat radiation from living objects.

On the other end of the size scale we can include optics that makes it possible to see Jupiter’s moons from the Earth with equally good and partly better solution than what is the case with similar images taken by the space probe Galileo. To see as we have defined here is a necessary tool in all technological development. In addition we also need to quantify what we see by measuring selected variables.

Nanotechnology

Materials technology has for a long time been the driving force behind the technological development. Classic examples are transistors and lasers. These became possible thanks to progress within materials technology. This development would be impossible without advanced microscopy techniques. Much of tomorrow's technology will be based on tailored, artificially constructed materials, including so-called nanostructures (one nanometre equals 10-9m). These materials are not only developed by experimental trial and error. Today, we can to a high degree calculate the properties of such artificial materials based on quantum mechanical theory. This opens the possibility for a materials technology adjusted to needs. Quantum mechanics is thereby moved from research laboratories to production premises.

At the same time it is important to be able to study this atomic structure of nanostructures. That requires advanced measuring techniques – “seeing” the structure of what we are making.

Technological development mainly consists of four elements:

• Experiment
• Theory
• Comparison of experiment and theory
• New knowledge adopted for the development of improved products

What we for example see with the techniques mentioned above and what we can otherwise measure is used to verify or reject theories. Next time, we use the verified theories to create new design materials and to develop the technology of the future.

Theory and practice
Research into fundamental questions and practical exploitation of research results are two sides of the same thing. Basic research is motivated by a desire to understand phenomena, but history shows that the basic discoveries have influenced our daily lives enormously. On the course Technical Physics we offer a comprehensive foundation in physics and technological studies, with opportunities of specialization in a practical or fundamental direction. This will give our students good and interesting work opportunities in industry, business, administration and/or research.