Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science - Materials Science

News & Events

Highlights

Winners of the 2023 Demetriades - Tsafka - Kokkalis Prizes Announced

06-02-23

The Demetriades - Tsafka - Kokkalis Prizes are awarded annually to PhD candidates selected for the best thesis, publication, or discovery in select fields. Saransh Sharma, advised by Professor Azita Emami, has received the prize in Biotechnology or Related Fields for his research in developing ultra-low power and highly miniaturized medical electronics for in-vivo localization and tracking. Nathaniel Wei, advised by Professor John Dabiri, has received the prize in Environmentally Benign Renewable Energy Sources or Related Fields for his research that explores the ways in which unsteady flows in the atmosphere can be leveraged in wind-energy systems for enhanced performance, robustness, and operational longevity. Rebecca Gallivan, advised by Professor Julia Greer, has received the prize in Nanotechnology or Related Fields. Coupled with the development of novel materials processing, Gallivan's research focuses on uncovering fundamental insight into the relationship between length-scale and microstructural features on nanomechanical phenomena in order to lay the foundation for advanced engineering and complex design of materials in nanotechnologies.

Tags: APhMS EE honors GALCIT MedE MCE John Dabiri Julia Greer Demetriades - Tsafka - Kokkalis Prizes Azita Emami Rebecca Gallivan Saransh Sharma Nathan Wei

In a First, Caltech's Space Solar Power Demonstrator Wirelessly Transmits Power in Space

06-01-23

A space solar power prototype that was launched into orbit in January is operational and has demonstrated its ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and to beam detectable power to Earth for the first time. Wireless power transfer was demonstrated by MAPLE, one of three key technologies being tested by the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1), the first space-borne prototype from Caltech's Space Solar Power Project (SSPP). SSPP aims to harvest solar power in space and transmit it to the Earth's surface. [Caltech story]

Tags: APhMS EE GALCIT MCE Harry Atwater Ali Hajimiri Sergio Pellegrino

Newly Observed Effect Makes Atoms Transparent to Certain Frequencies of Light

04-27-23

A newly discovered phenomenon dubbed "collectively induced transparency" (CIT) causes groups of atoms to abruptly stop reflecting light at specific frequencies. [Caltech story]

Tags: APhMS EE Andrei Faraon Riku Fukumori Mi Lei Manuel Endres

Knots Smaller Than Human Hair Make Materials Unusually Tough

03-09-23

In the latest advance in nano- and micro-architected materials, engineers at Caltech have developed a new material made from numerous interconnected microscale knots. The knots make the material far tougher than identically structured but unknotted materials: they absorb more energy and are able to deform more while still being able to return to their original shape undamaged. [Caltech story]

Tags: APhMS research highlights MedE Julia Greer Sammy Shaker Weiting Deng Widianto Moestopo

Alireza Marandi Named a Sloan Fellow

02-15-23

Alireza Marandi, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, has been awarded a 2023 Sloan Research Fellowships. Awarded annually since 1955 by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the fellowships "honor extraordinary U.S. and Canadian researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders," according to the foundation's announcement. A total of 156 Caltech researchers have received the awards to date. [Caltech story]

Tags: APhMS EE honors Alireza Marandi

Mohammad Mirhosseini Receives NSF CAREER Award

01-24-23

Mohammad Mirhosseini, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, has received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the NSF's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Mirhosseini receives the award for his proposal titled "Quantum silicon phononics: Harnessing long-lived phonons for memories and interconnects."

Tags: APhMS EE honors Mohammad Mirhosseini

Three Caltech EAS Grad Students and One EAS Alumna Named Quad Fellows

01-09-23

Riku Fukumori, PhD candidate in Applied Physics, Gordon Li, PhD candidate in Applied Physics, Ryoto Sekine, PhD candidate in electrical engineering, and Kavya Sreedhar (BS '19, Electrical Engineering), have been named to the inaugural class of the Quad Fellowship, an initiative of the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States to advance scientific and technological development, foster intercultural ties, and promote collective good. [Caltech story]

 

Tags: honors Kavya Sreedhar Ryoto Sekine Riku Fukumori Gordon Li

Caltech to Launch Space Solar Power Technology Demo into Orbit in January

01-03-23

In January 2023, the Caltech Space Solar Power Project (SSPP) is poised to launch into orbit a prototype, dubbed the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD), which will test several key components of an ambitious plan to harvest solar power in space and beam the energy back to Earth. [Caltech story]

Tags: APhMS EE GALCIT Harry Atwater Ali Hajimiri Sergio Pellegrino SSPP

Mohammad Mirhosseini Receives 2023 AFOSR Young Investigator Research Program Award

12-15-22

Mohammad Mirhosseini, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, has received a 2023 YIP award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) for his project titled "Quantum Computing-Encoding Bosonic Quibits in Long-Lived Phonons." 

Tags: APhMS EE honors Mohammad Mirhosseini