Materials with a repetitive pattern the same size as the wavelength of a wave can be used to control the wave, causing it to bend, perfectly reflect or transmit, or even turn around corners. Where different patterns meet, even more exotic behavior occurs, including making highways for light or sound that only travel in one direction or where the waves cannot be dissipated. Synthesizing such materials is a major challenge, which Wisconsin MRSEC researchers have met by adapting a family of 3D printing techniques.
2017 – 2023 Posts
Large Dataset on the Relationship Between Structure and Stability in Glass Wins Open Science Award for Yu
The generation and sharing of a large dataset created as part of his study has won Zheng Yu the 2021 Wisconsin MRSEC Excellence in Open Science Prize. A graduate student in Dr. Bu Wang’s lab at the Grainger Institute for Engineering, Yu generated the data as part of his work investigating the relationship between structure and stability in specialized glasses using computer simulations and machine learning.
Online Field Trips Bring Science to the State
For more than ten years, the Field Trip Program has brought students and teachers to Madison, Wis., for a day of activity and exploration. But when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered on-campus activity, the Discovery Outreach Team had to get creative. This spring, more than 28 Field Trips will connect students statewide to researchers using an entirely online model. The post Online Field Trips bring science to the state appeared first on Morgridge Institute for Research. Read the full article at: https://morgridge.org/story/online-field-trips-bring-science-to-the-state/
Winners of the MRSEC Educational Video Competition Announced
The winners of the Wisconsin MRSEC Educational Video Competition have been announced. There were two videos awarded in this competition. The winner of the Most Engaging Video is “Thin Film Fun” by the Ediger Group. The winner for Most Informative Video is “Determining Distances with Diffraction” by Tesia Janicki.
News Segment Features MRSEC Efforts to Provide the Value of Field Trips Virtually
WMTV in Green County, an NBC affiliate, featured some of MRSEC’s work on its recent news segment, “Schools taking more virtual field trips during COVID-19 pandemic.”
Communicating PhD Research to the Public Wins MRSEC Graduate Student WISL Award
Recent Materials Science and Engineering doctoral graduate, Sachin Muley, was awarded the Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy (WISL) Award for Communicating PhD Research to the Public. His thesis chapter, “Structure-property correlations in metallic glass and amorphous carbon films,” focuses on one of three themes of his PhD thesis, metallic glasses. Metallic glasses have many important uses today and in the near future as strong smart phone bodies, and as tough, slick coatings.
(2020) Energy Transfer Inside of a Topological Photonic Materials
The Wisconsin MRSEC has shown that molecules inside in a type of topological photonic material called a Weyl crystal can exchange energy over much larger distances. The intricate twisting structure of the material uses light to connect one molecule to others much farther away. Developing photonic Weyl crystals may contribute to more efficient LEDs and solar cells and improve molecular sensors.
(2020) Sparking Student Interest: Renewable Energy Devices in the Classroom
The Wisconsin MRSEC has developed a simple, inexpensive way for K-12 students to build a sustainable energy device using familiar, everyday materials including aluminum foil, a plastic egg, clear tape, and a bouncy ball. The device, called a triboelectric nanogenerator, converts the often-wasted energy of motion into useful electrical energy.
(2020) Solid-Phase Crystallization Produces Oxide Buffer Layers Lattice-Matched to Semiconductors
Engineers currently lack good substrate materials on which to grow thin films of materials like GaN with few defects. These layers are needed in applications like high-power transistors and solid-state lighting. Available bulk crystals have the wrong crystal structure or the wrong distance between the atoms. The Wisconsin MRSEC has developed a buffer layer material and related synthesis method that promises to alleviate the substrate problem.
MRSEC Educational Video Competition Accepting Submissions
The Wisconsin MRSEC Educational Video Competition has been launched to promote online science and engineering outreach in the current environment of social distancing where the majority of students are receiving science enrichment at home. The deadline to submit videos is January 20, 2021.