Highlights

A. Gruverman, H. Lu, Y. Wang, E. Y. Tsymbal (Nebraska MRSEC); D. Wu (North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC); H. W. Jang, C.M. Folkman, D. Felker, M. Rzchowski, C.-B. Eom (University of Wisconsin-Madison); M. Ye. Zhuravlev (Kurnakov Institute for General and Inorganic Chemistry, RAS, Moscow, Russia)

Apr 1, 2010

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Molecular Legos

G. Rojas, X. Chen, Yi Gao, X.-G. Zeng, P. Dowben, A. Enders (Nebraska MRSEC) W. Choe (UNL Chemistry)

Mar 30, 2010

University of Chicago

Imaging Quantum states of Bosonic atoms

Nathan Gemelke, Xibo Zhang, Chen-Lung Hung, Cheng Chin

By tuning the optical lattice depth or the interaction between cold atoms, a weakly-interacting atomic bosonic superfluid can be converted into a strongly correlated Mott insulator. Near the phase boundary, quantum criticality, resembling that of Ising-type

Mar 29, 2010

University of Chicago

MRSEC-Inspired Exhibits at Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry

Science Storms, the newest permanent exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, opened to the public on March 18th. MRSEC graduate students, postdocs, research staff and faculty assisted with the compilation of an inventory of chemical reactions for the Interactive Periodic Tables. In addition, aspects of granular materials research in IRGs 1 and 2 are featured prominently. MRSEC members, Heinrich Jaeger and Steve Sibener participated in key advisory groups for this new exhibit.

Mar 17, 2010

New York University

Genetically-Engineered Protein Materials and Self-Assembly : Video

The video describes the Montclare lab research efforts to fabricate nano-scaled self-assembling proteins as materials. It focuses on the use of bacteria as the synthetic powerhouse for soft materials synthesis and features the self-assembly behavior of these biologically-inspired materials for potential use in therapeutic delivery and regenerative medicine. Watch video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbzpHRgrRBY

Mar 1, 2010

Carnegie Mellon University

Effect of Particle Additives on the Texture Evolution in Block Copolymer Blends

Michael Bockstaller CMU MRSEC, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Block copolymer/nanoparticle (BCP/NP) composites have attracted interest because of the unique opportunities for tuning the properties of hybrid materials arising from the control of orientation and location of particle fillers within the copolymer matrix. However, quiescent organized block copolymer microstructures are not macroscopically uniform but rather exhibit ‘polycrystal-type’ texture with grain boundary defects that disrupt the long-range periodicity.

Mar 1, 2010

Carnegie Mellon University

Grain Boundary Energy from Experiment and Simulation

G.S. Rohrer, A.D. Rollett Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA D.L. Olmsted, S.M. Foiles, E.A. Holm Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM

A collaboration between the CMU MRSEC and Sandia National Laboratory has permitted the first large scale comparison between experimentally measured grain boundary energies and energies calculated based on atomistic simulations. The techniques for the measurement (at CMU) and the calculations (Sandia) are unique to each institution and largest experimental and theoretical data sets currently available. The favorable comparison validates the methods.

Feb 26, 2010

University of Pennsylvania

Cell Motility Driven by Actin Polymerization: A New Proposed Mechanism

K. C. Lee and A. J. Liu

In designing new motile materials, much can be learned by studying the physical mechanisms underlying cell crawling. One important form of cell crawling is driven by self-assembly of the protein actin. In this process, energy is supplied and various proteins cooperate to assemble

Feb 18, 2010

Princeton University

Ultra-Fast Electrically Driven Single Spin Rotations

Jason Petta - Department of Physics, Princeton University; Hong Lu - Materials Department, University of California at Santa Barbara; Art Gossard - Materials Department, University of California at Santa Barbara

A single electron spin in an external magnetic field forms a two-level system that can be used to create a spin qubit. However, achieving fast single spin rotations, as would be required to control a spin qubit, is a major challenge. It is difficult to drive spin rotations on timescales that are faster than the spin dephasing time and to individually address a single spin on the nanometer scale. We have developed a new method for quantum control of single spins that does not involve conventional electron spin resonance (ESR).

Feb 11, 2010

Ferroelectric Oxide Directly on Silicon

M.P. Warusawithana (Penn State University), C. Cen (Penn State University), C.R. Sleasman (Penn State University), J.C. Woicik (Penn State University), Y.L. Li (Penn State University), L. Fitting Kourkoutis (Penn State University), J.A. Klug (Penn State University), H. Li (Penn State University), P. Ryan (Penn State University), L-P. Wang (Penn State University), M. Bedzyk (Penn State University), D.A. Muller (Cornell University), L.Q. Chen (Penn State University), J. Levy (University of Pittsburgh), and D.G. Schlom (Cornell University)

Silicon/silicon dioxide is arguably the most important technological interface. With the end of Moore’s law scaling for silicon fast approaching, alternatives to silicon dioxide could enable new electronic device architectures. MRSEC researchers