stAMP research
Our research is driven by the growing need to understand and eventually engineer the science that links the form and function in materials, both in technology and nature. Our approach is bottom-up, ranging from atomic-scale to the continuum, using appropriate computational techniques and theoretical frameworks. We collaborate heavily with experimental groups, and recently have begun to carry out some of our labwork.

Focus areas
Our research is highly interdisciplinary, encompassing disciplines such as materials theory, material mechanics, computational materials science, nanoscience, chemical physics, biophysics and applied mathematics. Material phenomena and systems of interest are briefly listed below. For details, please follow the links.

• Crystalline material systems (metal/alloys/semiconductors/ceramics/composites)
  • Microstructure evolution during annealing phenomena
  • Thermodynamics and kinetics of crystalline defects, including dislocations and interfaces
  • Interfacial microstructures, including deformation microstructures, nanocrystalline microstructures and nanocomposites
  • Interactions between defect microstructures

• Thin films (metal/semiconductors)
  • Growth mechanisms and microstructure evolution
  • Mechanical properties

• Natural and synthetic filamentous materials
  • Rigid and semi-flexible nanofilaments - growth mechanisms, structure/morphology, mechanical properties
  • Filamentous aggregates - structure/morphology, self-assembly and properties
  • Defects - thermodynamics and kinetics
  • Networks (glasses and gels) - mechanical properties
  • Filament reinforced nanocomposites (metal-matrix, polymer-matrix)

• Layered materials and composites
  • Smectic clays - structure, hydration thermodynamics
  • Clay-based layered nanocomposites

Tools
The computational techniques used by our group include atomic-scale techniques such as molecular dynamics (classical, ab-initio, coarse-grained) and Monte-Carlo based stochastic techniques, and coarser scale techniques such as Potts model, phase field and finite element analysis. Theoretical frameworks are employed frequently to complement the computational studies, and are based on established frameworks such as near equilibrium thermodynamics, reaction and transition rate theory, elasticity theory and mathematical models.