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Two self-assembled colloidal clusters, as seen under the optical microscope. The cluster on the left, a tri-tetrahedron, and the cluster on the right, an octahedron, have the same energy. But in an experiment where both clusters are allowed to form randomly in solution, the less symmetric tri-tetrahedron occurs more than twenty times as often as the highly symmetric octahedron because of the many more ways to form the tri-tetrahedron.

We have identified a composition in Sm doped BiFeO3 which exhibits a complex mixture of ferroelectric phase and an antiferroelectric phase. Left shows a high resolution TEM image of a region displaying an interface between a rhombohedral ferroelectric phase (FE matrix) and antiferroelectric (antipolar clusters).

Acclaimed chef Jose Andres visited the Harvard MRSEC to collaborate with Center researchers and speak to students in the ES139. Innovations in Science and Engineering class; the laboratory and classroom discussions were filmed for a feature on 60 Minutes through a special agreement with the

Banana shaped molecules, like the one shown in the figure, like to pack into layers but when they do, they have a hard time making flat ones.  Their layers have a strong tendency to buckle up into saddles, and when the saddles try to fill space interesting things happen.  If the layers are crystal-like they can only form the twisted nanofilaments in the top of the image.  If the layers are fluid, like in a liquid crystal, then they form the "plumbers nightmare" of nested tubes and connections, the "sponge phase",at the

On June 1st -4th, 2010, CMU hosted 67 scientists from around the world at the 1st Summer School on 3D Microstructure Studies. MRSEC Faculty, graduate students and researchers introduced the techniques that were developed and continue to be developed here at CMU to characterize of the internal structure of polycrystalline materials. The school consisted of a mix of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on interactive activities for the participants. Sections were taught on measuring the

This work, carried out by the University of Chicago MRSEC, shows how to integrate neural networks in the construction of predictive phenomenological models in cell biology, even when little knowledge of the underlying microscopic mechanisms exist.

  During the academic year, Fall09 - Spring10, Dr. Kim, the facility director ,designed, built and tested devices for a number of MRSEC and outside users.

Surface plasmons are light-energy propagating electromagnetic modes trapped at the interface between certain metals (notably gold and silver) and a dielectric. They are also of interest for optical processes enhanced by strong local electric fields.

Electrically charged polymer colloids attracted to the surface of water droplets of different shapes crystallize on their curved surfaces. ŸThe curvature frustrates perfect crystallization and defects must be added such as the familiar twelve pentagons which decorate the otherwise hexagonal faces of a soccer ball. The pentagons/disclinations strongly relax curvature.