Simple bent molecules like CB7CB perform some seemingly miraculous tricks when packed together to make a liquid. Because the molecular ends and middles attract each other, the molecules spontaneously knit themselves together into double stranded chains many units long, like the twisted rope in the graphic. Understanding such self-assembly is key to  creating new applications for soft materials like liquid crystals and polymers.

The CEM Internal Advisory Council, a grassroots committee of students and postdoctoral researchers, created POEM to inform the Center’s direction and improve the educational and research experiences of CEM students. 

Experimental evidence in MBE-grown FeGe thin films for “chiral bobbers”, topological spin texture that exist near an interface. Theoretical modeling  predicts stable chiral bobbers in materials with both bulk and interfacial DMI. Lorentz TEM imaging of skyrmions in FeGe thinned crystals Topological Hall effect measurements of skyrmions in FeGe thin films and novel oxide heterostructures of SrIrO3/SrRuO3. Development of microwave absorption spectroscopy to probe skyrmion materials.

Researchers at the University of Texas - Austin find that manipulating biological electron transport pathways may be a general strategy for allowing bacteria to produce or communicate with synthetic materials.

The presence of isolated defects in the lattice of large band-gap semiconductors can introduce colored centers, by altering their electronic properties giving rise to transitions within the visible region.  Diamond has a rigid and dense lattice preventing defect diffusion and phase transitions under high pressure and temperature settings.

Ferromagnetism in monolayer van der Waals materials (vdW) has recently drawn tremendous attention since they were first discovered last year. Most of the materials found, however, are semiconductors and extremely air sensitive, so a vdW material that is metallic and stable under ambient conditions is highly desirable.

Information stored in magnetic materials is often read-out by measuring changes in magnetoresistance. Large magnetoresistance effects are thus important for establishing well-defined memory states within materials that store information. The Illinois MRSEC discovered a new and large magnetoresistance effect generated when a topological insulator (TI) is placed on top of an ordinary magnetic insulator. The surface of the TI becomes magnetic and exhibits a  so-called surface-state anisotropic magnetoresistance. This effect is two-orders of magnitude larger than previous effects induced in similar materials.

NYU-MRSEC investigators along with research scientist from the BioBus/BioBase organization mentored nine high school students as part of a two month peer-mentorship program.  The idea, to train high school students in optics, CAD/3D printing and basic of microscopy including applications in materials science (crystals and colloids).

One of the main drawbacks of metallic glasses is their low thermodynamic stability, which limits their formability and service life.  Recently, experiments by members of the Wisconsin MRSEC showed that organic glasses with high thermodynamic stability can be synthesized via physical vapor deposition (PVD) onto a substrate at a controlled temperature.  Now, this team of researchers has used molecular dynamics simulations to predict that the same PVD methods can enhance the stability of metallic glasses. 

The ability to precisely predict how molecular structure influences the microstructure of polymeric materials is the key towards the custom tailoring of desirable materials properties. Molecular dynamics simulations with atomistic level models were performed to design “high-χ” block oligomers that can self-assemble into 1-5 nm domains for next generation microelectronics applications. Simulations show that the microstructures formed by these oligomers can be tuned by varying the molecular weight and the chain architecture.