Materials science and engineering

New MIT School of Engineering faculty for 2015-2016

New engineering faculty for 2015-2016

The School of Engineering welcomes 18 new faces.

October 28, 2015

This image shows abrupt de-pinning and de-stabilization of a line defect due to repeated cyclic loading. Figure (a) shows the evolution of nominal tensile stress during two loading and unloading cycles. Figures (b) to (f) are still frames from a video that correspond to the stress state marked in (a), where the white dashed lines indicate the original defect location, and the colored dashed lines ...

Metal defects can be eliminated by cyclic loading

Finding shows small amounts of repeated stretching can eliminate crystal defects in nanoscale metal parts.

October 21, 2015

Admir Masic, an assistant professor in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The resilience of Admir Masic

A former Bosnian refugee — and new CEE faculty member — finds parallels in his life, his research, and a current political crisis.

October 20, 2015

Rendering of a virus used in the MIT experiments. The light-collecting centers, called chromophores, are in red, and chromophores that just absorbed a photon of light are glowing white. After the virus is modified to adjust the spacing between the chromophores, energy can jump from one set of chromophores to the next faster and more efficiently.

Quantum physics meets genetic engineering

Researchers use engineered viruses to provide quantum-based enhancement of energy transport.

October 14, 2015

Faculty highlight: Nuh Gedik

Associate professor's work on topological insulators and atomically thin materials yields new, laser-driven approaches to materials for electronics.

October 9, 2015

Tomás Palacios, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT

The second semiconductor revolution

Materials Day, Oct. 14, presents insights into the next generation of extremely thin, tough quantum materials for sensing, energy. and computing devices.

October 8, 2015

Child cups hands while drinking water flowing through poured cup

J-WAFS Solutions awards two $150,000 commercialization grants

Renewable grants awarded to PIs in materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, and biology.

October 8, 2015

Researchers created pores in a graphene sheet (in purple) and then placed it over a layer of silicon nitride (in blue) that had been punctured by an ion beam. This allows specific hydrated ions, which are surrounded by a shell of water molecules, to pass through.

Big range of behaviors for tiny graphene pores

Like biological channels, graphene pores are selective for certain types of ions.

October 5, 2015

MIT President L. Rafael Reif and Gianfelice Rocca sign documents renewing a partnership between the Institute and Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), Italy's top engineering school.

Significant foundation grant extends two-way partnership with Italy through 2020

Agreement will support a number of joint research projects, seminars, lectures, and other programming.

October 2, 2015

Left to right, Michael Tarkanian stands with Alexandra Sourakov and Ahmed Al-Obeidi

Biomimetic non-reflective coating for solar cells wins MADMEC

Team wins $10,000 at annual competition for invention inspired by butterfly wings.

September 29, 2015

Thomas McKrell, research scientist in the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering

A passion for learning in the lab

Thomas McKrell designs, builds, and supervises nuclear science and engineering laboratory projects, and readies students for careers in research.

September 22, 2015

SMART electronics research

Eugene Fitzgerald pursues new models for innovation in electronics as part of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology.

September 21, 2015

How to make large 2-D sheets

MIT-led team develops method for scaling up production of thin electronic material.

September 21, 2015

Yang Shao-Horn (center), professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering at MIT, examines an experimental lithium-air battery with graduate students Yi-Chun Lu (right) Koffi Pierre Claver Yao.

A day in the sun

MIT Solar Day brings the MIT community together to preview the coming decades of solar energy innovation.

September 16, 2015

A new carbon-based catalyst can bond to the edges of two-dimensional sheets of graphene.

Inexpensive new catalysts can be fine-tuned

Material could replace precious metals and produce precisely controlled electrochemical reactivity.