2017 – 2023 Highlights

Wisconsin MRSEC researchers have used 3D-printing to make a new waveguide for microwaves. These waveguides are formed from a topological photonic crystal, which makes them more resistant to defects. As a result,…

The Wisconsin MRSEC partnered with the Colorado Migrant Education Program to provide MRSEC-developed research-inspired activities to a new underserved and underrepresented audience during the 2023 summer Migrant Education STEAM Academy.

Complex oxide materials have useful electronic, magnetic, and optical properties arising from their versatile composition and crystallographic structure. Wisconsin MRSEC researchers have investigated new methods for the crystallization of complex oxides. They…

Researchers in the Wisconsin MRSEC have shown that how fast molecules move on the surface of a glass thin film as it is being grown determines the size of regions that share…

MRSEC researchers have found similar phenomena in systems as diverse as amorphous water (the glassy form of ice) and chalcogenides. These various materials have applications spanning electronics, catalysis, and medicine, so the…

Wisconsin MRSEC scientists created an interactive experience to engage high school students participating in the UW-Madison PEOPLE pre-college program with materials research. PEOPLE provides longitudinal support to first-generation college students from historically…

Wisconsin MRSEC researchers have discovered a new common behavior for glasses: How fast atoms move on a glass surface is connected to how easily flow is activated for the same material as…

The Wisconsin MRSEC Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium (AMIC) has organized a series of lunch-time seminars by engineers from member companies and prospective member companies. These seminars introduce students, faculty, and staff to…

Wisconsin MRSEC researchers have developed a new way to synthesize one possible substrate, ScAlMgO4, by depositing it at low temperature, then crystallizing it. Now, the team has developed the ability to grow…

Coatings that prevent fouling are critical in commercial, industrial, and healthcare contexts. Wisconsin MRSEC researchers have developed new spray-based methods to make nanoporous water-repelling films and spray-on ‘slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces’ (SLIPS).…

Concepts of topology recently have been brought to bear on materials designed to control sound waves. Sound wavelengths are much longer than light, making acoustic materials easier to synthesize and their behavior…

The creation of novel materials often involves the painstaking and time-consuming synthesis and characterization of a series of samples with small differences. This process is slow and slows the pace of materials…

Preparing students for careers inside and outside academia is a key mission for the Wisconsin MRSEC and its Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium (AMIC). AMIC sponsors student-led seed research projects to help students…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin MRSEC developed and disseminated science activity kits. The project started in partnership with a local food pantry as an effort to engage with economically…

Jamie Lauer, a Wisconsin (WI) high school teacher, participated in the MRSEC’s cross-cultural Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program in 2019 and 2021. The program is run in collaboration with the University…

Materials with a repetitive pattern the same size as the wavelength of a wave can be used to control the wave, causing it to bend, perfectly reflect or transmit, or even turn…

WMTV in Green County, an NBC affiliate, featured some of MRSEC’s work on its recent news segment, “Schools taking more virtual field trips during COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Wisconsin MRSEC has shown that molecules inside in a type of topological photonic material called a Weyl crystal can exchange energy over much larger distances. The intricate twisting structure of the…

The Wisconsin MRSEC has developed a simple, inexpensive way for K-12 students to build a sustainable energy device using familiar, everyday materials including aluminum foil, a plastic egg, clear tape, and a…

The Wisconsin MRSEC Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program is a cross-cultural collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM). The RET program provides science teachers from Wisconsin and Puerto Rico an…

The Wisconsin MRSEC has developed machine learning techniques that enable the design of new toxin sensors using liquid crystal droplets that respond to the presence of different bacterial toxins and at extremely…

The Wisconsin MRSEC is developing an ultrafast direct electron camera for use on a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) in its Shared Instrument Facilities. One application of the camera will be experiments…

Bacteria communicate via molecular signals that they produce in high concentrations. Bacterial communication promotes the formation of biofilms that can be harmful to humans and costly to industry. We have shown that…

Heusler compounds are promising materials for next generation devices for direct conversion of heat to electricity (thermoelectricity) and for magnetic computer memory. Performance in these applications depends sensitively on the arrangement of…

Not all members of our community have the time or resources to attend science outreach events. To reach some of those people, the Wisconsin MRSEC conducts its engaging, hands-on science activities to…

During the Wisconsin Science Festival, a statewide event that reaches over 30,000 people, the Wisconsin MRSEC developed an improvised science program held on a trolley that shuttled passengers between 27 science activities…

This Seed project engaged underrepresented minority students in STEM through the MRSEC-sponsored summer REU program at UW-Madison. Doris A. Vargas Valentin, an undergraduate student from the University of Puerto Rico—Mayaguez, learned how…

Many bacteria have evolved dynamic networks of amphiphilic molecules that form a chemical “language” that they use to communicate and regulate group behaviors. This communication, in turn, governs the synthesis of bacterial…

SEED-funded graduate students led scientific demonstrations for the general public during the 2018 Engineering Expo, hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Kawasaki group also hosted a local middle school teacher as…

Heusler compounds are a promising class of thermoelectric materials that can convert waste heat into electricity. Importantly, they are composed of Earth-abundant elements. Their efficiency depends sensitively on electronic structure, however, challenges…

Industry outreach efforts of the Wisconsin MRSEC are facilitated by the Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium (AMIC).

The Wisconsin MRSEC’s fourth annual Facilities Day Open House, held on April 12-13, 2018n engaged 165 scientists, engineers, students, instrument vendors, and employees of local companies.

The Share Instrumentation Facilities of the Wisconsin MRSEC provide access to and training on over 100 state-of-the-art instruments for fabrication and characterization of m materials. They are widely used by University of…

The “Informatics Skunkworks” is a group dedicated to engaging undergraduates in realizing the potential of informatics for science and engineering. Skunkworks participants work together in project-based research, learning critical skills in teamwork,…

The Wisconsin MRSEC has developed research-inspired educational digital games that are each being played over 1900 times/week. Atom Touch teaches students about atom behavior, bonding, and forces. Crystal Cave lets students explore…

Over 90 people attending the 2017 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall meeting practiced their science communication skills during two interactive, improv-based workshops presented by the Wisconsin MRSEC. The workshops were based upon…