Objective: To develop nanofabrication capabilities that will allow for writing structures as small as ~10 nm. Approach: Use MRSEC funds provided by the State of Utah to purchase state-of-the-art nanofabrication capabilities to expand existing materials research capabilities. Results and Significance: We have purchased and installed a new $1.5M dual beam focused ion beam system that is housed in the University of Utah Nanofab. The system is being used extensively within MRSEC to create nano-plasmonic devices.

MRSEC postdoc, Dr. Kermin Martínez-Hernández; Visiting Scholar, Sandy Sine; and former MRSEC RET participant, Troy Dassler organized a workshop “Integrating cutting-edge nanotechnology into the inquiry-based learning experience.” This was part of the professional development workshop prepared for Middle Year’s Science Teachers and organized by CESA 6 Science Center: Meeting Demand for 21st Century Learning and UW-Madison Wisconsin Leads in Math and Science Initiative

Molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse grain model are used to explore the morphology of thermotropic liquid crystal nanodroplets. The characteristic length of the droplets is such that different contributions to the energy, including interfacial and bulk-like terms, have comparable magnitudes. Depending on the relative strength of such contributions, a wide variety of mesophases can be identified. These range from a completely disordered isotropic phase at elevated temperatures, to ordered radial and smectic phases at low temperatures.

In the last ten years, two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy has become an important technique for studying molecular structures and dynamics. We report the implementation of heterodyne detected two-dimensional sum-frequency generation (HD 2D SFG) spectroscopy, which is the analog of 2D infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy, but is selective to noncentrosymmetric

    Fluidic chamber placed on top of   graphene sensor to exchange fluid   and hence protein or chemical   concentration during a measurement.

Objective: To study the dynamics of magneto-resistance in organic diodes Approach: Measure electronic transport and magneto-transport of organic diodes as a function of frequency with an applied magnetic field using admittance spectroscopy

Objective: To develop and characterize new plasmonic metamaterials in the terahertz (THz) spectral range. Approach: Explore unconventional materials that are typically not suitable for plasmonics applications at optical frequencies but exhibit reasonable conductivities at THz frequencies. Results and Significance: Liquid metals and well-developed microfluidic technology can be used successfully to create useful devices in a frequency range commonly referred to as the “gap in the electromagnetic spectrum.”

Objective: A precise absolute magnetometer based on organic spintronics that is scalable to micron dimensions, has low cost and that is not adversely affected by environmental influences (temperature, air etc.). Approach: Integrated bipolar MEH-PPV device above magnetic field strip lines for magnetic resonant excitation. The B-field is measured through spin-dependent current changes under magnetic resonance. Results and Significance: For the p-conjugated polymer MEH-PPV, an ABSOLUTE sensitivity of

Newly discovered “giant” spin Hall effect enables simple and efficient magnetic memory