A new type of magnetoresistance called unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR) has been discovered in a study that combines a topological semimetal (WTe₂) with a ferromagnetic semiconductor (Cr₂Ge₂Te₆). This phenomenon involves changes in resistance linked to magnetization reversal and spin interactions. The findings highlight how the unique properties of these materials can create distinct resistance states, which could be valuable for developing more advanced magnetic memory devices.

One of the research goals of UCSD MRSEC IRG2 included developing shape-shifting materials driven by asymmetric forces. In a recent effort, the MRSEC team demonstrated an ELM capable of shape-shifting driven by both a temperature stimulus and enzymatic mediated partial degradation of the composite material.

A recent study revealed that m-terphenyl isocyanide ligands have different orientations when bonded to gold and silver surfaces—vertical on gold and flat on silver. This finding is important as it helps understand how surface ligands affect the properties of plasmonic nanoparticles. The research could lead to the development of new types of patterned nanoparticles, which would facilitate new self-assembly techniques, bridging the gap between inorganic materials and proteins.

Super-moiré patterns identified in WSe2 bilayer with large twist angles. While moiré superlattices in graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) bilayers with small twist angles are known to exhibit flat bands and host exotic correlated phases, strong lattice reconstruction in these systems poses challenges. In contrast, large-angle bilayers are structurally robust but typically considered electronically decoupled. Here, we discover robust super-moiré patterns emerging near a large commensurate angle, combining the advantages of both regimes—structural stability with flat electronic bands. This work expands moiré twistronics and flat-band quantum physics into the large twist-angle regime.

Novel double moiré system realized in a four-layer twist- controlled graphene structure. These double moiré twist-controlled structure goes beyond the single moiré structures generally investigated in twisted bilayer graphene or transition metal dichalecogenides. The results show that demonstrate that electronic confinement in multilayer graphene stacks can be compactly realized by changing the twist angles, in contrast to traditional band engineering that employ dissimilar materials. Furthermore, near the magic angle the flat bands host correlated insulators, which suggests that the proximity of one flat band does not suppress the correlated insulating states in the other flat band.

Metal Oxide nanocrystals that incorporate dopants (impurities) can display intense absorption bands known as localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) that can transduce light into heat. Using a series of time-resolved measurements with femtosecond resolution together with a theoretical heat transfer model, we have quantified timescales over which tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanocrystals heat their environment following light absorption.

Here, we developed a method to generate a synthetic cortex at the membrane of synthetic cells upon blue light illumination. This is important since it allow us to control the mechanical properties of synthetic cells reversibly. When incorporated into a synthetic tissue, this method would enable mechanical patterning and defining the 3D morphology of tissue with light.

In this study,we focus on the adsorption and desorption of metal adatoms, which can modulate the electrical resistivity by several orders of magnitude. We develop material-based relationships of the adsorp-tion energy with electronic and atomic structure descriptors by examining the effects of various transition-metal adsorbates on the surface of TMDs. Our results reveal that adsorption energies of transition metals exhibit consistent trends across different TMDs (MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, WSe2)and can be explained using simple descriptors of the atomic and electronic structure. We propose several models to describe this adsorption process, providing a deeper understanding of a crucial step in the resistive switching mechanism based on the formation and dissolution of point defects.

In nature, actin bundling is a key capability that enables cells to apply substantial forces to overcome obstacles. Similarly, in the design of actin-based materials, the ability to bundle semi-rigid filaments into bundles of higher rigidity is a key step toward building more complex architectures. For this reason, developing a toolbox for controlling bundling is an important goal of our IRG. The approaches we have developed for controlling the bundling of actin filaments on a microscopic level allow us to construct actin-based materials with tunable mechanical properties.

The artist residency program at the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials enables artists to work with CDCM faculty to create contemporary art installations that demonstrate emerging science and technology, bringing fundamental concepts in science to the public in very tangible, engaging ways.