Professor and Racheff Faculty Scholar Pinshane Huang of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering has been recognized by Physics World as being responsible for one of the Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year for 2025.
Huang is also an IRG1 Leader for the Illinois MRSEC.
Huang, along with Yichao Zhang, a former postdoctoral researcher in Huang's group and now an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, achieved a remarkable milestone in materials imaging by capturing the highest-resolution images ever taken of individual atoms. Using an advanced electron-microscopy technique called electron ptychography, the team reached an unprecedented resolution of 15 picometers — approximately 10 times smaller than the size of an atom itself.
The breakthrough research focused on twisted 2D materials, specifically a stack of two atomically-thin layers of tungsten diselenide rotated relative to each other to create what's known as a moiré superlattice. These materials have garnered significant attention in the physics community because their electronic properties can shift dramatically with even minor changes in rotation angle.
Illinois Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
I-MRSEC has a mission to perform fundamental, innovative research that supports technological applications in areas of societal need, while promoting interdisciplinary materials-focused education and training of students.