IRG - Mechanical Energy in Nanoscale Materials: Surfaces and Interfaces

IRG Senior Participants:
Sunil Bhave (E&CE), Harold Craighead (A&EP), Jeevak Parpia (Phys, co-leader), Keith Schwab (Phys), Alan Zehnder (T&AM)
Students and Postdocs: 7 graduate
Collaborators: K. Ekinci (Boston U.), M. Hines (C&CB), B. Houston (NRL), W. Lane (Analog Devices), D. Tanenbaum (Pomona), M. Zalalutdinov (NRL).

Our group is trying to understand why the mechanical properties of nanoscale materials often differ dramatically from the well known properties of macroscopic materials. Using knowledge gained from these investigations, we are also working to develop ultrahigh sensitivity nanomechanical devices, including resonators fabricated from single carbon nanotubes and sheets of graphenethat will enable new scientific and technological applications. In collaboration with our industrial partners, we also working to transition micromechanical devices from the laboratory to the industrial domain by tackling challenging issues of device integration, stability, operation in ambient conditions, and manufacturability.