It is well known how the properties of solids arise from their symmetry, whether this is defined within the bulk interior, or by the presence of a surface or interface. The Mesoscale Materials Laboratory, headed by Professor Jonathan Spanier, is studying how symmetry-breaking at different length scales alters how light interacts with matter and can challenge our notions about the behavior of materials and their properties.
The research group utilizes materials design to control lattice and electronic degrees of freedom and structure, permitting excitation phenomena that can be used to capture, convert, carry and convey energy and information. Epitaxial complex oxide films, grown in the lab via physical vapor or atomic layer deposition, offer an exciting palette for exploring emergent symmetry-driven structure-properties relationships. The group also investigates how such chemically complex thin films evolve and crystallize using solid phase epitaxy. Areas of application of their research include energy conversion and information and communications technology (ICT).
Research Focus Areas
- Electronic Materials
- Energy
- Nanomaterials