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Program Highlights for year 2017

DNP Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

The DNP-NMR technique in the MRSEC Shared Experimental Facilities allows the selective measurement of surface species, in addition to enabling large sensitivity enhancements. The biradicals serve only to act as an antenna for the microwaves. Very small quantities of biradicals are introduced into the sample, which do not change the surface chemistry that results from hydration.

From High School to Professional Scientist: Developing a Pipeline

With declining numbers of STEM degrees and limited diversity in the STEM workforce, there is a need for expansion of research opportunities for undergraduate and high school students, in particular those from underrepresented groups.

1.3µm Optical Interconnect on Silicon: A Monolithic III-Nitride Nanowire Array Photonic Integrated Circuit

A feasible optical  interconnect on a silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor chip demands epitaxial growth and monolithic integration of diode lasers and optical detectors with guided wave components on a (001) Si wafer, with all the components preferably operating in the wavelength range of 1.3–1.55 μm at room temperature.

Generating Accelerating Light with Metasurfaces

Finely patterned surfaces, known as metasurfaces, can control light with unprecedented ability. Unlike traditional optical elements, metasurfaces derive their optical properties from their subwavelength texture rather than their shape.

New Design Principles for Self-Folding Materials

From the ancient art of origami to modern meta-materials research, a central goal has been to develop the ability to convert a flat, stiff sheet into its final three-dimensional shape with just one single folding motion. Except for a few known cases, general design rules for the required patterns of creases have been elusive.  

Universal Dynamics of Bosons Across a Quantum Phase Transition

A Bose-Einstein condensate, when shaken appropriately, shows universal dynamics at a ferromagnetic quantum critical point.

An Integrated Design and Fabrication Strategy for Entirely Soft, Autonomous Robots

Soft robots possess many attributes that are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with conventional robots composed of rigid materials. Yet, despite recent advances, soft robots must still be tethered to hard robotic control systems and power sources. 

NEW.Mech Workshop for the New England Mechanics Community

The MRSEC co-sponsored NEW.Mech, a one-day workshop held in October 2016 at Harvard. The annual conference brings together researchers to explore new directions in the mechanics of materials and structures.

Developing a Solar Outreach Program for Haiti

A Solar Outreach Program for Haiti is comprised of an interdisciplinary team of students, professors, university partners, and non-governmental organizations whose goal is to design and build Integrated Energy Centers in energy scarce regions. This year, the program developed a business plan, located investors, and submitted several grant proposals.

Combinatorial screening of metallic glass electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Due to enormous challenges associated with theoretical modeling of multicomponent alloys, there are no reliable theoretical predictions available for their composition-dependent properties and structures. Taylor and Schroers have proposed to use combinatorial materials science to address this challenge. 

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