The research of this group is at the intersection of nanomechanics and materials science using theory, computer simulation and experimental approaches, to fundamentally study how the size, surface morphology and microstructure of low-dimensional nanostructures control their mechanical and thermoelectric properties at the nanoscale. The systems studied span from twinned nanowires and nanocrystalline thin films in metals, to carbon nanofibers and graphene. An outcome is the strong potential for new mechanisms to be discovered by this approach, such as strengthening effects and nanoscale thermoelectric power generation. To this end, we make use of state-of-the-art atomistic simulation techniques, as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based experiments for property characterization. The laboratory is located in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

Current Research Projects: