Since 2006, members of the University of Chicago MRSEC have visited the Exploratorium and hosted reverse-visits by Exploratorium artists and scientists. The long-term goal is the realization of MRSEC-inspired exhibits on the Exploratorium floor. The picture on the left is of Shawn Lani (formerly, Exploratorium) and Sid Nagel discussing the beautiful and compelling structures made by a vibrated cornstarch/water mixture.

Ordering of spherical particles represents a fundamental topic in materials science and engineering ranging from the sub-nanometer scale packing of atoms in simple crystals to micron sized assemblies of colloids.

On the left is a magnetic force microscope (MFM) image of a CoFeB patterned film, and on the right is a representation of the micromagnetics (distribution of local magnetic moments). The pattern

Graphene, a single atom-thin sheet of carbon, can be used to make ultra-fast electronics. Researchers at the University of Maryland Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) are collaborating with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to understand how graphene forms on the surface of silicon carbide.  Growing graphene on silicon carbide could provide a platform to manufacture high speed graphene transistors which could find uses in applications ranging from advanced radar to miniaturized cellphones.  

A new class of materials shows great promise for next generation electronics applications.  Topological insulators have been heralded for unique properties that may prove crucial to the successful development of devices in the emerging fields of spintronics and quantum computing. Scientists are further excited about the prospect of investigating new and peculiar fundamental physics in these materials.

Realizing the full potential of nanodevices will require the ability to place individual elements that are much smaller than the width of a human hair in precise, 3-D configurations.  We have developed new materials that allow us to use light and/or electric fields to position individual micro- or nanostructures in precise locations in three dimensions and then to lock them into place using short pulses of light from a laser.  This “trap-and-zap” scheme is being used to create new types of optical, electronic and mechanical devices based on nanotechnology.  Shown here are 2D pattern (top),

  Scalable templated growth of graphene nanoribbons on SiC: Direct nanoribbon growth avoids the need for damaging post-processing.