Nanostructures in Motion: Probing Surface Science and Fracture Mechanics at Molecular Level – Zenghui Wang

Date: Mon. February 18th, 2013, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm
Location: Rockefeller 221

Nanomaterials, since their debut, have greatly advanced human knowledge from many aspects. For example, carbon-based nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotube and graphene, have been the subjects of intensive study over the last two decades and greatly improved our understanding of phenomena happening at the nanoscale. On the other hand, microelectromechanical systems, MEMS, research has thrived over the last few decades in the engineering field and brought along many new applications. In this talk, I will illustrate that, by combining nanomaterials with MEMS technology, even more new opportunities and new sciences can be unveiled. I will mostly focus two systems: 1. a nanotube resonator, the worlds smallest NEMS resonator only achieved a few years ago, being used to study the basic principles of phase transition, a century-old fundamental physics question, and 2. a comb drive system integrated with nanomaterials, opening new opportunities for both the nanomaterials and MEMS communities.