MSE

Topological materials are solid-state compounds that have atypical charge carriers, often acting analogously to particles in high-energy physics. They are significant for both fundamental and applied science, with potential uses in spintronics, catalysis, and quantum information science. But despite the great promise of this field, the majority of known topological materials conform to the same […]

The development of stronger and tougher materials serving under extreme conditions is a long-term goal of materials research that has been made even more urgent recently by our quests for space exploration and energy sustainability. Recently, the advent of alloys with increased complexity, e.g., multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs), additively manufactured (AM) alloys, and alloys with […]

Wearable robots and devices—garments with embedded elements that actuate to change shape or apply forces to the wearer, typically based on signals from integrated sensors—offer promise for assistive and augmentative applications including rehabilitative gloves, haptic devices, and dynamically thermoregulating clothing. Early iterations of wearables from the 50s and 60s primarily took the form of rigid […]

Moiré superlattices of two-dimensional (2D) materials are an emerging platform for studying new physical phenomena with high tunability. Strong excitonic responses in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) allow optical access to the wealth of physics. In this talk, I will present our recent results about interactions between excitons and charge carriers trapped in moiré potentials. We […]

From superconductivity to fractionalized particles, fascinating phenomena arise in quantum materials due to the collective behaviors of electrons. These quantum effects challenge our understanding of nature and open up new possibilities for future technologies in quantum information. In my talk, I will discuss the use of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures to create new quantum […]

Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a rich platform for studying quantum phenomena, because their properties can be profoundly altered through heterostructure stacking and defect manipulation, while the resulting electronic and magnetic structure can be directly imaged via surface-sensitive probes. I will discuss several examples that highlight the remarkable potential of engineered two-dimensional (2D) materials for exploring […]

Structural materials that are damage tolerant, lightweight, multifunctional, and sustainable are highly desirable for many engineering applications. Such combinations of properties are often found in the biological world. Organisms from nature construct a variety of different biological structural materials for protection, predation, body support, camouflage, etc. Despite the fact that these materials are made from […]