3 the state of science in south africa
P H Y S I C S A N D A S T R O N O M Y
such as FRN Nabarro and JH Van der Merwe ment for materials characterisation, and it
pioneered the field in the 1950s and 1960s, is these tools of condensed matter physics
and currently there are established groups and materials science which are driving the
at about ten universities, together with re- resurgence of applied and interdisciplinary
search laboratories at the CSIR, iThemba research.
LABS, and Mintek, as well as Element 6 in
industry. This cross-fertilisation with other disciplines
and investment in much-needed infrastruc-
Recent years have also seen a stronger over- ture has led to an equal growth in human
lap with research in other physics sub-dis- capacity. Almost every university in the
ciplines (applied physics, optics and spec- country now has either an active research
troscopy, and theoretical physics), and even group in the field, or a successful postgrad-
with other disciplines (chemistry, biology uate programme, often in collaboration
and engineering) and research areas (nano- with other institutions and disciplines. In
sciences, biotechnology, and microscopy). this respect, the new teaching and research
Details are given under the descriptions of activities at the UFS’s Qwa-Qwa campus,
each of the respective fields. and at the University of Zululand (UZ) in
collaboration with UWC and the materials
A research chair in nanotechnology was research group at iThemba LABS, are par-
awarded in 2008 to the physics department ticularly noteworthy. Even the established
of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University universities and the science councils have
(NMMU) for work on thin-film semiconduc- seen a resurgence in an interdisciplinary
tor materials. The NRF has also established approach to materials research, with the es-
a National Centre for High-resolution Trans- tablishment of the Centre of Excellence for
mission Electron Microscopy (TEM) in the Strong Materials at Wits, and the National
same department. It will operate the first Centre for Nano-structured Materials at the
double-corrected atomic resolution TEM CSIR. The UFS has established, through its
in Africa. This facility is, however, only the applied and basic research on nanophos-
most high-profile of a series of similar fa- phors, strong collaborative links with chem-
cilities established throughout the country istry departments. Both NMMU and UCT
for research on nanomaterials and other have a broad programme of research, rang-
interdisciplinary science. Only three years ing from the fundamental physics of nano-
ago, near-atomic resolution microscopy in materials through to the applied physics of
South Africa was a dream, with research- solar cells – one being based on thin-film
ers and students having to use their scarce compound semiconductors and the other
resources for travel. Now there are facilities on printable nanoparticulate silicon. While
at UWC, UCT, Wits and the CSIR. The same not formally having a solid-state physics
pattern has been repeated throughout group, Stellenbosch University (SU) is ac-
the recent investment in interdisciplinary tively pursuing the study of materials using
research equipment. The major share has femtosecond laser techniques, specifically
been used to purchase analytical equip- second-harmonic generation at semicon-
94
TWAS book_Chap1-6.indd 94 2009/10/07 12:00:11 AM
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