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We introduced the concept of plate mechanical metamaterials [1] and its initial realization in the form of freestanding corrugated plates made out of ultrathin films. We used atomic layer deposition (ALD) and microfabrication techniques to make robust plates out of a single continuous ALD layer with lateral dimensions of up to 2 cm and a thickness as low as 25 nm, creating the thinnest freestanding plates that can be picked up by hand [1].

We are often taught that the difference between solids and liquids is that in solids, each of the constituent particles has a well-defined average position while in liquids, particles are constantly rearranging and changing their neighbors. In fact, particle rearrangements do occur in solids, and all solids flow under enough stress. Crystalline solids flow via localized particle rearrangements that occur preferentially at structural defects known as dislocations.  The population of dislocations therefore controls how crystalline solids flow.

An inter-MRSEC collaboration between the University of Chicago and the Pennsylvania State University led to the discovery of a new technique that enables bidirectional control of the chemical potential in a topological insulator (TI).

Screening block oligomer chemistry and architecture through molecular simulations to find promising candidates for functional materials requires effective morphology identification techniques. Common strategies for structure identification include structure factors and order parameters, but these fail to identify imperfect structures in simulations with incorrect system sizes.

Researchers at Duke University and the University of British Columbia are exploring whether surfaces can shed dirt without the use of fragile superhydrophobic coatings.

Princeton researchers found that deposition temperature can significantly affect the stability of liquid phase PEO in MAPLE (matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation)-deposited films, which results in different crystallization kinetics.

Analogous to a superconductor, the quantum anomalous Hall effect can transport electrons in a sample without dissipating any energy. The effect has been proposed as an important element for quantum circuitry, quantum computing and a standard for fundamental constants of physics. Unfortunately, it often emerges only at temperatures near absolute zero (~ 0.1 K).

An international collaboration led by Princeton University IRG3 researchers have measured electron spin coherence in germanium for the first time.

The area of two-dimensional (2D) materials research would benefit greatly from the development of synthetically tunable van der Waals (vdW) materials. While the bottom-up synthesis of 2D frameworks from nanoscale building blocks holds great promise in this quest, there are many remaining hurdles, including the design of building blocks that reliably produce 2D lattices and the growth of macroscopic crystals that can be exfoliated to produce 2D materials.

Study reveals thin film physics also manifests in random nanocomposite geometry.