The goal of CRISP professional development workshops is to improve the quality and diversity of STEM education for science teachers in neighboring urban school districts. CRISP offers inquiry-based workshops which utilize CRISP specialized research facilities to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of materials science and nanotechnology.
The unique properties of transition metal oxides allow electrons to be manipulated in new ways. At CRISP, we have created an oxide device that enables a gas of electrons to be expanded or compressed with an applied electric field. The expansion or compression of the gas modulates the speed of moving electrons.
Many species of birds have feathers with colors that are the result of light scattering from a disordered arrangement of nanoscale air spheres. The feathers appear to be the same color from every angle. Inspired by these beautiful feathers, we design structures of polymer nanoparticles that produce color the same way. This is a new way to make
A multi-partner collaborative effort has focused on understanding semiconductor-oxide interfaces. This involves atomic layer precision in synthesis of the structures, correlating the structure and electronic properties using first principles, and obtaining subatomic resolution of structures from synchrotron x-ray diffraction a the Advanced Photon Source (Argonne National Laboratory) and electr
Transition metal oxides exhibit many properties that can be harnessed in novel devices. For example, an epitaxial ferroelectric on silicon enables a nonvolatile transistor that remembers its state without continuous power consumption. A critical question is how the oxide/silicon interface affects the oxide functionality.
The vivid, angle-dependent structural colors of some butterfly wing-scales are produced by light scattering from complex three-dimensional nanoscale structures.
Optical properties of nanomaterials are at the basis of a host of new technology and prototypes, including sensors, computing devices, and enhancing substrates for spectroscopy, yet fundamental understanding on how to tune such properties is just emerging.
When a negatively charged, high molecular weight polymer (hyaluronic acid) is mixed with a positively charged peptide-based, self-assembling molecule, a membrane is instantaneously formed at the interface of the two solutions. These closed membranes (sacs) have a complex hierarchical structure which presents a unique challenge in quantifying its mechanical properties.
Molecular semiconductors are important materials for technology applications, such as solar cells. Current research focuses on how to organize molecules at interfaces for more efficient energy conversion. Maryland MRSEC researchers
Hydrogels undergo volume changes when immersed in water, the degree of which is det
