Robert Wolkow

Robert Wolkow is a Canadian physicist known for his work in nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, and atom-scale fabrication. He is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta, where he holds the iCORE Chair in Nanoscale Information and Communications Technology and the AITF Industrial Chair in Atom Scale Fabrication. He is also the Principal Research Officer and Nanoelectronics Program Coordinator at the National Research Council (NRC) Nanotechnology centre in Edmonton, and the Chief Technical Officer of Quantum Silicon Inc. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Wolkow completed his Bachelor of Science in Honours Applied Chemistry at the University of Waterloo in 1982. He earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto in 1987. After this, he carried out postdoctoral research at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in New York. In 1988, he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in New Jersey as a Member of Technical Staff, where he worked until 1994.

In 1994, Wolkow returned to Canada to join the National Research Council as a Senior Research Officer at the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences in Ottawa. He became a Principal Research Officer in 2000. From 2001 to 2003, he led the Molecular Interfaces Program at NRC-SIMS and also held adjunct professorships at the University of Ottawa and McGill University. In 2003, he moved to Edmonton, where he became a Professor at the University of Alberta and took on leadership roles at the National Institute for Nanotechnology. He later became Scientific Director of the Hitachi Electron Microscopy Product Development Centre in 2009.

His research focuses on atom-scale fabrication, scanning tunnelling microscopy, surface chemical physics, ultra-low-power electronic computation, single-atom devices, and quantum computing. He is recognised as a pioneer in using STM to study and control atoms and molecules on silicon surfaces. His work aims to develop new electronic devices that could replace conventional transistors and significantly reduce energy use.

Wolkow has played a key role in translating fundamental research into commercial technologies through spin-off companies, including Quantum Silicon Inc. He has received several awards, including ASTech Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Technology and multiple innovation and patent awards. His work has contributed to positioning Alberta as an important centre for nanotechnology research and development.

Robert Wolkow is a Canadian physicist whose career has focused on nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, atom-scale fabrication, and surface chemical physics. His work spans fundamental research, applied science, and commercial development, with a strong emphasis on understanding and controlling matter at the level of single atoms.

He completed his Bachelor of Science in Honours Applied Chemistry through the co-operative programme at the University of Waterloo in 1982. He then pursued doctoral studies at the University of Toronto, where he earned a PhD in Chemistry in 1987. Following the completion of his doctorate, he undertook postdoctoral research at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in New York. During this period, he worked on the early application of scanning tunnelling microscopy to study surface chemistry, which later became a core element of his scientific work.

In 1988, Wolkow joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey, as a Member of Technical Staff. He worked there until 1994, contributing to research in surface science and nanoscale phenomena during a period when Bell Labs was a leading global centre for industrial research. His time at Bell Laboratories helped shape his approach to combining experimental techniques with theory and instrument development.

In 1994, he returned to Canada to join the National Research Council at the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences in Ottawa as a Senior Research Officer. He led the Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy group and continued to develop methods for imaging and manipulating molecules and atoms on semiconductor surfaces. In 2000, he was promoted to Principal Research Officer. Between 2001 and 2003, he served as Leader of the Molecular Interfaces Program at NRC-SIMS. During this time, he also held adjunct academic appointments as Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at the University of Ottawa and Adjunct Professor of Physics at McGill University.

In 2003, Wolkow moved to Edmonton to take up a professorship in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta. In the same year, he was appointed iCORE Chair in Nanoscale Information and Communications Technology and became a Principal Research Officer at the National Institute for Nanotechnology. He later assumed the role of Nanoelectronics Program Coordinator at NRC Nanotechnology. His academic and research roles were structured so that he worked part-time at the university and part-time at the national laboratory, allowing close integration between education, research, and technology development.

In 2009, he became Scientific Director of the Hitachi Electron Microscopy Product Development Centre at the National Institute for Nanotechnology. In this role, he contributed to the development of advanced electron microscopy tools used for materials science and nanotechnology research. In 2011, he also served as Program Coordinator for Hybrid Nano-Electronic Systems at NINT. In parallel with his public research roles, he became Chief Technical Officer of Quantum Silicon Inc., a company formed to commercialise technologies arising from his research on atomic-scale silicon devices.

Wolkow’s research centres on atom-scale fabrication, the physics and chemistry of semiconductor surfaces, and the principles of ultra-low-power electronic computation. He is widely recognised for his pioneering work in scanning tunnelling microscopy, both in technique development and practical application. His research group uses scanned probe microscopy, quantum mechanical modelling, and custom-built instruments to study and control atomically defined silicon structures. A central theme of his work has been the ability not only to observe atoms and molecules on surfaces, but also to move and position them with precision.

A major focus of his research has been the development of new electronic devices based on atomic-scale structures that could replace conventional transistors. He has argued that traditional transistor scaling is approaching physical and economic limits and that new approaches are required to continue progress in computing. His work aims to create circuitry that operates with far lower power consumption than current technologies, with potential benefits for energy use, device longevity, and materials efficiency. This research also connects directly to long-term goals in quantum computing and single-atom device engineering.

Alongside fundamental research, Wolkow has been active in translating scientific results into practical technologies. Through patents, industry partnerships, and spin-off companies, he has worked to move laboratory discoveries towards commercial application. His collaborations have included partnerships with major industrial organisations, and his work has contributed to the development of a nanotechnology ecosystem in Alberta. He has been a strong advocate for building advanced research and technology development capacity within the province and for training future scientists and technology entrepreneurs locally.

Wolkow is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, reflecting his contributions to science at the national level. He has received several awards recognising leadership, innovation, and technology development, including honours for research leadership in Alberta and multiple awards related to patents and spin-off activity. Across his career, his work has combined deep scientific investigation with a consistent focus on practical impact, particularly in the fields of nanoelectronics and atomic-scale device engineering.

Robert Wolkow’s vision is to move electronic technology beyond the limits of conventional transistors by building devices at the scale of single atoms. He aims to develop new forms of computation that use far less power while remaining reliable and practical for real-world use. A central goal of his work is to turn deep scientific understanding of silicon and atomic behaviour into usable technologies that can support future computing needs, including quantum systems. He believes research should lead to clear outcomes, such as lower energy use, longer device life, and reduced material demand. An important part of his vision is training skilled scientists and engineers who can turn research into lasting technological and economic value.

Robert Wolkow has received several awards and forms of recognition for his contributions to nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, and technology development. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, which recognises sustained excellence in research and national impact. His work has been acknowledged through leadership and innovation awards in Alberta, including the ASTech Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Technology Award in 2015. He has also received multiple Innovation Makes Sense awards related to patents and spin-off activity, reflecting the successful transfer of research into practical applications. These honours recognise both his scientific achievements and his role in building links between research, industry, and commercial development in advanced technology.