Materials Science
In the materials science area, the research emphasis is on the relationship between microstructure and physical properties with special attention to mechanical properties.
We have extensive and multidisciplinary collaboration in the area of optics manufacturing with emphasis on the mechanics and materials issues associated with the manufacturing of high precision surfaces in glasses and crystals.
Graduate research topics span a wide range, including:
- Deterministic microgrinding, lapping, and polishing of glasses and optical crystals
- Properties of piezoelectric and nano-crystalline materials
- Laser damage of bulk glasses and thin films
The department has extensive experimental facilities including scanning, atomic force, and optical microscopes, servohydraulic and screw-driven mechanical testing systems, a nanoindenter and an x-ray diffraction facility.
General research topics for faculty members working in materials science are listed below. Click on a faculty name for a link to their web page with more detail about their research.
Associated Faculty
- Niaz Abdolrahim – Continuum mechanics, Finite element methods, atomistic simulations, Monte Carlo methods
- Hesam Askari – Mechanics of Solids and soft matter; Granular systems; Stocahstic response; Manufacturing techniques
- Gilbert 'Rip' Collins – Exploring new quantum states of matter through extreme pressures (https://www.rochester.edu/imaxed/)
- Paul Funkenbusch – Precision grinding, powder processing, deformation processing, design of experiments
- Suxing Hu – Theoretical/Computational High-Energy-Density Physics; Inertial Confinement Fusion; Warm-/Hot-Dense Matter; Intense Laser-Matter Interactions; Ultrafast Dynamics; Attosecond Physics; Computational Atomic; Molecular; Optical Physics
- John Lambropoulos – Optics manufacturing, laser damage, nanoindentation, crystal growth
- Andrea Pickel – Nanoscale heat transfer; luminescence nanothermometry; single-nanoparticle imaging and spectroscopy; high-temperature thermal metrology; electrothermal measurements
- Ryan Rygg – Experimental high-energy-density physics; shock waves; inertial confinement fusion
- Sobhit Singh – Novel quantum materials (bulk and 2D); Theoretical condensed matter physics; Density-functional theory; Polar metals; Ferroelectrics; Magnetism; Superconductivity; Topological phases of quantum matter