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Interactions among electrons can give rise to a variety of exotic quantum phases in solids. An intriguing example is the formation of “nematic” electronic states, whose wave functions break the rotational symmetry of the host material. By examining electronic behavior on the surface of bismuth at high magnetic field, the Princeton MRSEC group showed that a combination of strain and electron-electron interactions lifts the degeneracy of electronic states in this material.

We exploited Matrix Assited Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) to deposit polyethylene from a quasi-vapor phase at a controlled substrate temperature, to crystallize polymers under confinement at a wide range of target crystallization temperature, Tc.  The team showed the remarkable controllability of the semi-crystalline structure of PE by MAPLE with the control of substrate temp.; see Figure A and B. In comparison to melt-crystallized PE (Fig.

Block copolymers, which self-assemble into nanostructures due to the incompatibility of each block, have generated intense scientific interest and are used in a myriad of important technologies.  In such systems, the majority of the macromolecules can lie within a few nanometers of an internal interface, within a region where the dynamics and mechanical properties can be highly modified from their bulk values.

On April 1, 2017 over 500 people visited Princeton University to learn about polymers from Princeton Center for Complex Materials researchers. Members of the NSF funded MRSEC in Interdisciplinary Research Group 2 presented a multimedia demonstration and lecture featuring audience participation. Rod Priestley and Cliff Brangwynne spent months developing the presentation that explained the basics of polymers, discussed their career paths in science and overviewed their MRSEC research on a level that a 5 year old to an adult could understand and appreciate.

The Imaging and Analysis Center (IAC) supported by PCCM is a world-leading facility for materials characterization. It is a critical resource to our industrial user community. The advanced instrumentation and expertise in the IAC provide ultimate opportunity for us to actively interact with industrial scientists. IAC conducts a series of short courses (required for instrument access), which involve direct experimental demonstrations and hands-on instruction, ranging from basic sample preparation devices to high-end electron microscopes.

Spherical particles are easy to synthesize because a sphere is a shape that minimizes surface area. Non-spherical particles, however, have properties that can be very different from spherical particles, but they are challenging to fabricate.

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are only one atom or one structural unit cell thick, has stimulated an enormous range of research effort. The well-known example is graphene – a zero band gap semiconductor, which exhibits outstanding charge carrier mobility. However, the absence of a band gap is a major hindrance in implementing graphene in 2D electronics. The question arises whether other graphenic systems of mono-atomic thickness, with useful electronic properties, can be realized.

Multiferroics is a class of materials that exhibits a coexistence of electric and magnetic polarizations.  Coupling of these polarizations is potentially useful for energy-efficient information storage and processing. Hexagonal rare-earth ferrites (h-RFeO3, where R is rare-earth element and Fe is iron) are new family of multiferroic materials. Magnetic interactions between rare-earth and iron ions in h-RFeO3, may amplify the weak ferromagnetic moment of iron, making these materials more appealing as multiferroics.

Leveraged upgrades to Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (S/TEM) and Focused Ion Beam System (FIB) include Gas-phase Environmental TEM, 3D EDS tomography (S/TEM), and others. 

In Summer 2017, Nebraska MRSEC partnered with the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools to offer a new, STEAM-based summer learning program. Spark Summer Learning provides opportunities for students in grades K-5 to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math in an immersive setting, engaging students in problem-based learning through hands-on “maker” projects.