Atomically Engineered Materials

Prof. Vitaly Alexandrov

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING

Computational data-driven design of 2D materials

The student will learn how to employ the computational methods of quantum chemistry combined with machine learning tools to design and characterize 2D materials for energy and device applications.

Prof. Christian Binek

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Quantum Materials Through the Lens of Thermal and Magnetocaloric Properties

This project will use direct measurements of adiabatic temperature change and the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of specific heat to investigate magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of quantum materials, with particular emphasis on low- and high-energy-product magnetic materials in the non-ergodic regime. Thermodynamic quantities such as the isothermal entropy change provide insights into the formation of non-trivial magnetic spin structures. The project will also explore magnetocaloric effects under non-equilibrium conditions, a largely unexplored regime that may reveal enhanced responses beyond those accessible in equilibrium.

Prof. Peter A. Dowben, Prof. Takashi Komesu

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Demonstrating the better bio-organic ambipolar transistor

Organic ambipolar transistors have captured the attention of the semiconductor industry for decades. The Dowben group now has evidence of bio-organic ambipolar transistors that surpass the performance of ordinary organic ambipolar transistors. The student will be able to choose the polypeptide and dopant combination which they will characterize. The student will then be taught how to make bio-organic ambipolar transistors. The student will learn to measure capacitance versus voltage, current versus voltage and analyze transistor transfer curve to extract carrier lifetimes and carrier mobilities bio-organic ambipolar transistors. The student will also learn how to measure the optical band gap of organic thin films. The goals are (1) improving the carrier mobility, of bio-organic ambipolar transistors, above that of amorphous silicon, and at the very least expand the range of existing bio-organic ambipolar transistors, (2) giving the student an opportunity to publish a peer reviewed manuscript.

Requirements: Enthusiasm, a willingness to learn and an understanding that not every trial will be a success.

Prof. Alexei Gruverman

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Conducting domain walls in wurtzite ferroelectrics

The student will investigate the resistive switching behavior of AlScN thin film ferroelectric capacitors by visualizing and modulating the population density of domain walls as a function of the applied voltage, capacitor thickness and electrode materials using a scanning probe microscopy approach. 

Prof. Alexey Kovalev

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Simulations of magnetic textures in altermagnets

This project will introduce an undergraduate student to computational modeling of domain walls, vortices, and skyrmions in altermagnets, a class of magnetic materials with compensated magnetic order and momentum-dependent spin splitting. The student will implement or adapt numerical methods to minimize the magnetic energy and solve the Landau--Lifshitz--Gilbert equation, examining how exchange interactions, anisotropy, external fields, damping, and applied torques affect the stability and dynamics of magnetic textures. The project will provide experience in scientific programming, numerical simulation, data visualization, and the physical interpretation, and can lead to potential applications in magnetic logic and memory devices.

Prof. Rebecca Lai

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Design and Fabrication of Spin Crossover Nanocomposites

The student will learn to synthesize chiral spin crossover complexes, create nanocomposites with different types of MXenes, and characterize them using VSM, IR, CD, and other techniques. The results will elucidate how MXene surface modifications alter the interactions with the spincrossover complexes.

Prof. Abdelghani Laraoui

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING

Diamond quantum sensing microscopy of magnetic materials

The student will learn to perform basic quantum sensing experiments on a wide range of magnetic materials (MXenes, 2D magnets, and vdW materials). The results will elucidate how proximity, substrate, and interface affect the magnetic properties of these materials.

Prof. Stephen A. Morin

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Soft Autonomous Materials for Synthetic Muscle

In this REU experience the student will learn how to formulate MXene Hydrogel hybrid materials using novel cross-linking strategies and strategies and designer MXene fillers. The student will characterize microstructure and actuation performance using an array of techniques.

Prof. Eva Schubert

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Chiral and Nonchiral Molecule Sensing

This project explores the development of platforms for highly sensitive chiral sensing. Students will investigate how nanoscale structure and material composition can be engineered to selectively interact with circularly polarized light and chiral molecules. Using glancing-angle deposition (GLAD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), students will fabricate and tune nanostructured thin films and heterostructures, then characterize their optical and electrical properties. The project provides hands-on experience in nanofabrication, materials characterization, while exploring new approaches to optical sensing.

Prof. Mathias Schubert, Prof. Alexander Sinitskii

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

THz Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Ellipsometry on MXene Qdits

The student will learn to perform novel spectroscopic paramagnetic resonance THz ellipsometry experiments under high magnetic fields up to 8 Tesla on magnetic MXenes and participate in the quest to develop MXenes that can be used to host multi-level quantum states (qdits). The student will learn to use Spin Hamiltonians for data analyses.

Prof. Alexander Sinitskii

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Synthesis and environmental degradation of MXenes

The student will learn about MXenes - an emerging class of two-dimensional carbides and nitrides with very diverse chemical compositions and physical properties. The student will study synthesis of MXenes and their stability in different environments, probed by UV-vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results will identify stable MXene compositions suitable for applications in conductive thin films, protective coatings, and chemical sensors.

Prof. Evgeny Tsymbal

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Developing Interactive Simulations of Magnetic Structures Using Web-Based Tools

The goal of this project is to develop easy-to-use, interactive simulations for visualizing magnetic structures and spin configurations using existing web-based tools. The student will learn how to model and visualize magnetic ordering, domains, and spin dynamics, and explore how these properties evolve with temperature and other external parameters. The simulations will illustrate important magnetic textures, including domain walls, vortices, and skyrmions, and demonstrate their relevance to modern spintronic devices. The resulting interactive visualizations will provide intuitive tools for learning and exploring fundamental concepts in magnetism.

Prof. Yanan (Laura) Wang

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Optomechanical Study of MXenes and Related 2D Materials

This project will investigate how the properties and structures of MXenes and other emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials affect their optical and mechanical behavior. The undergraduate researcher will receive hands-on training in fabricating suspended micro-/nanomechanical structures and characterizing their mechanical resonance, optical response, and light-matter interactions using interferometric and spectroscopic techniques.

Prof. Xiaoshan Xu

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Multiferroic thin films

The student will learn structural analysis of crystalline films using diffraction methods. In addition, the student will learn characterization of ferroic properties such as ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism and getting exposure to the device applications.