NEMS based tools for nanoscience and atomic clocks

Nanoscience is a thriving multi-disciplinary activity, which aims at understanding the properties and the interaction of very small objects on the nanometer scale. In this endeavor, tools for the observation, analysis and modification of individual objects like macromolecules, clusters or even single atoms are required. The development of dedicated microfabricated instruments to measure physical and chemical interactions at this scale is therefore required. This talk will give an overview of microfabrication techniques employed to shape such NEMS based tools and introduce the audience to several probing techniques. In a second part, we focus on the principles and fabrication techniques of atomic clocks.