Category: 2017 – 2023 Posts

(2020) Order From Disorder: Molecular Packing in Glasses

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Using physical vapor deposition, researchers produced glassy films that are smooth and uniform, but which also have the molecules aligned with one another and organized in layers. This added structure could make the glass more efficient for conductors and expand the range of materials that can be used in future organic electronics.  The colorful images in the figure show measurements using synchrotron x-rays that contrast the disordered starting material and the ordered glass.

(2020) Why Sound Waves Travel So Far Unimpeded in Glasses at Low Temperatures

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IRG 1 showed how the atoms around the defects can restrict their ability to jump between configurations and how defects can talk to each other via sound waves. Both phenomena keep the defects from interfering with sound waves allowing the waves to travel long distances.

Materials Science Activities at Home!

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Looking for high-quality science and engineering activities that your young learner can do from the comfort of your home? Well then, we’ve got you covered! Check out our At-Home Science Activities page! On that page, you’ll find videos guiding you through the activities, links to more detailed information, and age range. All the activities we post on that page will have their estimated cost listed, as well. We are aiming for the activities to be inexpensive, or even better, FREE!

(2020) Wisconsin MRSEC Excellence in Open Science Prize

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The Wisconsin MRSEC is committed to being a leader in Open Science, which shares data in digital forms following FAIR1 principles. As part of these efforts the Center has developed a new web site, a best practices guide, and held informational events. This year the Center launched the first Wisconsin MRSEC Excellence in Open Science Prize. The winner was graduate student Bradley Dallin2 for his work on molecules interacting with water, with potential applications from understanding human blood to protein folding diseases like Alzheimer’s. Bradley shared his results in papers, but also shared all his simulations and tools in an open accessible format for the community, increasing the impact of his work.

(2020) In Situ Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation for Challenging Problems in Oxide Crystallization

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Researchers at the Wisconsin MRSEC have developed a new instrument using very bright synchrotron x-ray beams to watch nanoscale crystals as they grow. The system has a unique design that allows the crystals to grow in vacuum while keeping the x-ray lenses and the x-ray beam in air but bringing them very close to the crystal. Wisconsin MRSEC researchers are using this new instrument to learn about solid phase epitaxy, a process based on the growth of ordered crystals from a disordered amorphous solid, which is capable of creating new materials for applications in electronics, optics, sensors, and quantum information.

(2020) Machine Learning Algorithms

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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 low concentrations by changing shape and appearance. Machine learning enables computers to automatically analyze the droplet responses to measure toxin concentration and type automatically at high accuracy. More generally, these results demonstrate that the machine learning approach can quickly extract valuable information from complex datasets.

Newly Awarded Superseed and Seed Projects Will Forge Research Paths for MRSEC

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Two Superseed projects and one Seed project have been awarded funding to pursue research as part of the Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Education Center (MRSEC). The collaborative Superseed and Seed projects will enhance the ongoing materials research of the Center and support the exploration of transformative new directions.

Educational Games Take Stay-at-Home Kids to the Next Level

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UW–Madison engineers and Field Day Lab game designers have developed options for productive screen time that kids at home during the COVID-19 pandemic can benefit from and enjoy. Educational and fun video games aimed at middle and high school students are available free.

Dallin Awarded the 2020 Wisconsin MRSEC Excellence in Open Science Prize

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The MRSEC Open Science prize recognizes a researcher or research team that has demonstrated an exceptional effort or success in the development and dissemination of impactful data for the scientific community. With the transformative developments in data access and analytics, development and dissemination of impactful data sets is an increasingly important part of modern materials science. This prize seeks to encourage researchers to develop innovative strategies to share their data.

2019 BREW Participants Help Develop Three Educational Activities

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During the 2019 BREW Education Workshop, attendees were asked to evaluate, refine, extend, and hack three outreach activities that are currently under development in the MRSEC.