MSE

My group is developing a roadmap for soft actuating materials to replace bulky electric motors in miniature robots requiring large mechanical work output. First, I will describe the materials microstructure and mechanics of polymeric coiled muscles made by twisting nylon fishing lines, and how these actuators use internal strain energy to achieve a “record breaking” performance. Then I […]

Light-matter interactions form the fundamental basis for numerous phenomena and processes in optical devices. This talk will cover ultra-high-quality (Q) whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical microresonators which have an unprecedented capability to trap light in a highly confined volume smaller than a strand of human hair. Light-matter interactions are significantly enhanced in high-quality WGM resonators, creating the […]