Piezoeletric materials are used for a variety of actuator and sensor applications. Finding a Pb-free replacement for the popular Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 has been a major challenge for the community.

What are PPA “foldamers” nonbiological polymers that fold model systems for self-assembling nano structures challenge for simulation: long timescale and complex dynamics  New results longer chains considerably are more complex: multiple traps and remarkable complexity new methods used to predicted long timescale behavior: Markovian model and Folding@Home grid computing

Nano Lett. Doi: 10.1021/nl070613a (2007)

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is commonly used to manipulate and measure the magnetic moments (or spins) of electrons.  IRG-D researchers at the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM) have demonstrated a 100 fold improvement in sensitivity to the electrons’ spins by combining long-coherence donor electrons in isotopically enriched silicon with superconducting Nb microresonators.1  The PCCM researchers have previously shown that these donor impurities, each binding one electron, exhibit exceptionally

Oxide ceramics are ubiquitous in modern society- ranging from capacitors in electronic gadgets to high-tech displays. In numerous future technologies, it is necessary to "pattern" ceramic oxides in various forms, e.g., dots and lines, at the nanometer scale.

Background: The JHU MRSEC conducts extensive K-12 educational outreach programs aimed at promoting interest in and awareness of the importance of modern materials research. The MRSEC's Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program provides high school teacher the opportunity to conduct research in MRSEC and to use the MRSEC's resources for the development of classroom modules or other materials.

In addition to providing access to state-of-the-art commercially available instruments, the Northwestern University MRSEC Shared Facilities also participate in the development of new experimental methods and tools. In particular, the Ultrasound Bioprobe has been developed that combines the noninvasive nature and sensitivity of ultrasound waves with a near-field atomic force microscope mechanical probe that provides high phase sensitivity and mechanical contrast of the scattered ultrasound wave.

The explosion of interest in graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms, has called attention to the advantages of materials with small effective masses. In our InSb quantum wells, the electron effective mass is as small as in graphene while the room-temperature

The increased speed and power of microelectronic devices has come from a steady reduction in the size of their constituent features, which has been achieved by using progressively shorter wavelengths for the photolithography used in their fabrication. Today, the most advanced production photolithography uses 193 nm ultraviolet (UV) light from an ArF excimer laser.