The research activity at nM²-Lab focuses on the design, preparation and characterization of functional materials engineered at the nano and micro scale, including single-phase magnetic materials, magnetic composites and hybrid/multifunctional systems in the form of thin films, nanoparticles, nano-patterned systems and bulk, of interest both for fundamental studies and applications, including Energy, Environment, Technologies for Sensors/Actuators, Information Storage and Biomedicine. Scientific challenges range from the design and fabrication of nanoscale-engineered materials with new properties to the understanding of the underlying magnetic phenomena and their correlation with the structural and morphological properties. Other scientific interests include the investigation of natural and manmade materials containing magnetic nanoparticles for studies in the field of Cultural Heritage.