nano at MIT

[chris macrae]

MARC 2019 shines a light on research in microsystems, nanotechnology and more Annual student-led conference connects MIT researchers and industry partners

Research Highlights Physics World 2018 Breakthrough of the Year Discovery of “magic-angle bilayer graphene” by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and colleagues. Sub-terahertz sensors to steer driverless cars Ruonan Han’s receiver arrays will complement LIDAR. Unleashing perovskites’ potential for solar cells New recipe brings these materials closer to commercialization. Harvesting Wi-Fi energy Palacios group, researchers from MIT and elsewhere are bringing intelligence to every object around us. Technique identifies electricity-producing bacteria Microbes screened with a new microfluidic process might be used in power generation or environmental cleanup. Controllable, fast, tiny magnetic bits MIT researchers show how to make and drive nanoscale magnetic quasi-particles known as skyrmions for spintronic memory devices. 3-D printed tumor traps 3D printed microfluidic device simulates cancer treatment. Terahertz laser for sensing and imaging outperforms predecessors High-power, tunable design could be used for chemical detection in outer space, medical imaging, more. Atomic Layer Etching used for the first time to fabricate record 3D transistors Collaboration between del Alamo group and University of Colorado demonstrates potential of new atomic-level fabrication technique. 3D print head that works with unprecedented speed New design pioneers melting and extruding renewable materials. Cooling without power Relies on passive heat emission of mid-infrared radiation. See-through film rejects 70 percent of incoming solar heat Material could be used to coat windows, save on air-conditioning costs.   First two-dimensional material that performs as both topological insulator and superconductor Tungsten ditelluride-based transistor combines two different electronic states of matter. Integration of conductive wires along microfluidic channels enhances cell sorting Opens new possibilities for medical screening. New nanostructured surface becomes “omniphobic" Novel surface design overcomes problem of condensation that bedeviled previous systems. Controlled fracturing of graphene to produce synthetic cells Technique from MIT could lead to tiny, self-powered devices for environmental, industrial, or medical monitoring. Inexpensive chip-based device may transform spectrometry Juejun Hu’s lab demonstrates new spectrometer utilizing all-electronic optical switches. New technique to quickly harvest 2D materials brings them closer to... Efficient method for making single-atom-thick, wafer-scale materials opens up opportunities in flexible electronics. Stamp-sized graphene sheets riddled with holes could be boon for mo... Fabrication technique could be integrated into manufacturing to make large-scale membranes. Startup uses 3-D printing to reinvent the production of metal parts With an MIT alumnus and four professors among its co-founders, Desktop Metal is pushing the boundaries of metal 3-D printing. New approach makes sprayed droplets hit and stick to their targets Using a simple mesh screen may allow farmers to dramatically reduce the amount of pesticides they spray. A new way to remove ice buildup without power or chemicals MIT researchers have developed a completely passive, solar-powered way of combating ice buildup. Air pollution can put a dent in solar power Tonio Buonassisi and colleagues calculate amount of sunlight absorbed or scattered by haze and its impact on solar panel power output.  3D printing of colloidal crystals  Technique could be used to scale-up self-assembled materials for use as optical sensors, color displays, and light-guided electronics. Profiles Paving “one-way streets” for light inside photonic devices Takina Fakhrul researches materials for optical isolators based on iron garnets. Helping small science make big changes Farnaz Niroui is exploring nanocale research from Mildred Dresselhaus’ former office.   Making AI more efficient Song Han designs innovative algorithms and hardware systems based on his deep compression technique for machine learning. Finding living inspirations for novel optics Mathias Kolle takes clues from biology to create a broad spectrum of dynamic colorful materials. Boosting battery performance Ju Li advances energy storage for smartphones, cars, and the electrical grid. Announcements MARC 2019 Conference Proceedings available! MTL 2018 Annual Research Report available!