A technological leap sits on the horizon, with exciting capabilities like quantum computing, soft robotics and more coming down the pike. To bring these ideas to reality will require engineering new classes of materials that make up their building blocks.
The Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials at The University of Texas at Austin has been on the leading edge of materials development for the past six years. With a fresh infusion of funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the center will turn its attention to new research thrusts that will bring to life materials with enhanced properties and capabilities.
“As we discover more about these building blocks – how they interact with each other or how they respond to the addition of energy – we can enable next-generation technologies like quantum computing and communications,” said Ed Yu, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the center.
The two major research thrusts will focus on soft, highly adaptive materials and hyper-thin moiré materials. Faculty members from the Cockrell School and the College of Natural Sciences will team up to lead each research area.
Read more at The University of Texas at Austin
Image: Frances Camille Wu, a graduate research assistant in the Microelectronics Research Center, uses a microscope to study electronic devices in a clean room at the Pickle Research Campus in Austin, Texas. Credit: The University of Texas at Austin