Materials Science and Engineering News
Stanford Engineers' New Metamaterial Doubles Up on Invisibility
Monday, May 6, 2013
The new material's artificial "atoms" are designed to work with a broad range of light frequencies. With adjustments, the researchers believe it could lead to perfect microscope lenses or invisibility cloaks.
Dill and Bienenstock Elected Members of American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Friday, April 26, 2013
Two faculty members at the School of Engineering join one of the country's oldest and most prestigious honorary learned societies.
New Battery Design Could Help Solar and Wind Energy Power the Grid
Friday, April 26, 2013
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.
Stanford to collaborate with edX to develop a free, open source online learning platform
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
EdX will be available as an open source learning platform on June 1. In support of that move, Stanford will integrate features of its existing Class2Go open source online learning platform into the edX platform.
Materials Scientists Make Solar Energy Chip 100 Times More Efficient
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Scientists working at the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) have improved an innovative solar-energy device to be about 100 times more efficient than its previous design in converting the sun's light and heat into electricity.
Stanford Researcher Sheds New Light on the Mysteries of Spider Silk
Monday, February 4, 2013
Researcher and team are the first to measure all of the elastic properties of an intact spider's web, drawing a remarkable picture of the behavior of one of nature’s most intriguing structures. The work could lead to new “bio-inspired” materials that improve upon nature.
Big Challenges, Big Ideas: Stanford Engineering Year in Review
Monday, January 7, 2013
Letter from the Dean of Stanford Engineering.
New optical tweezers trap specimens just a few nanometers across
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
A microscale technique known as optical trapping uses beams of light as tweezers to hold and manipulate tiny particles. Stanford researchers have found a new way to trap particles smaller than 10 nanometers - and potentially down to just a few atoms in size – which until now have escaped light’s grasp.
Engineering Hero Craig Barrett Talks Research Universities and Competitiveness
Monday, December 3, 2012
In an interview on the day of his induction as a Stanford Engineering Hero, Craig Barrett, a former professor in the School of Engineering who rose to be CEO/Chairman of Intel, reminisced about his career, the central role of research universities in America’s economic past and future, and how to remain competitive going forward.
Zhenan Bao, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Elected to AAAS
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have elected Professor Zhenan Bao as a Fellow. Bao is one of just six Stanford scholars named to AAAS this year.
Ann F. Marshall, 'a world-class electron microscopist,' wins the 2012 Marsh O'Neill Award
Friday, November 9, 2012
Award honors staff members who have made outstanding contributions to Stanford's research mission.
The Master of Materials
Friday, November 9, 2012
For Associate Professor Yi Cui, better materials mean better batteries, solar panels, renewable power storage and more.
Scratching the Surface: Stanford Engineers Examine UV Effects on Skin Mechanics
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Researchers in Stanford’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering are using models derived in mechanical labs to look closer at how ultraviolet radiation changes the protective functions of human skin.
Two more free online classes from Stanford Engineering
Friday, September 28, 2012
The two newest classes, "Introduction to Computer Networks," and “Solar Cells, Fuel Cells and Batteries,” offer participants the chance to learn from some of Stanford's most accomplished faculty.
Lights, nano, action: Advances in nanomaterials science and engineering
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Jennifer Dionne discusses how engineers are controlling light at the nanoscale to treat cancer, create more efficient solar cells, develop a real-life cloak of invisibility and more.
Materials Science Assistant Professor Named a Top Young Innovator by Technology Review
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
William Chueh is recognized for his novel approach to solar fuel production.
Stanford faculty is embracing online teaching opportunities
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The team leading Stanford's online education initiative announces seed grants to faculty members across campus for course development. "It's been a grassroots phenomenon, which really reflects Stanford's tradition of innovation and creativity," said John Mitchell, professor of computer science and President John Hennessy's special assistant for educational technology.
Stanford engineers synthesize printable, electrically conductive gel
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Jell-O-like material, from the labs of Stanford professors Yi Cui and Zhenan Bao, may have applications in areas as widespread as energy storage, medical sensors and biofuel cells.
Newly Upgraded Nanotechnology Labs Advance Science, Learning
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Stanford’s shared nanotechnology facilities offer state-of-the-art scientific instruments and trained staff that would be too costly for any single researcher to acquire.
Cloak and swagger: Engineers use plasmonics to create an invisible photodetector
Sunday, May 20, 2012
A team of engineers at Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania has for the first time used “plasmonic cloaking” to create a device that can see without being seen – an invisible machine that detects light. It is the first example of what the researchers describe as a new class of devices that controls the flow of light at the nanoscale to produce both optical and electronic functions.
Plasmons resonate in atomic-scale metal particles
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Stanford engineers determine how collective electron oscillations, called plasmons, behave in individual metal particles as small as just a few nanometers in diameter.
Straintronics: Engineers create piezoelectric graphene
Thursday, March 15, 2012
By depositing atoms on one side of a grid of the “miracle material” graphene, researchers at Stanford have engineered piezoelectricity into a nanoscale material for the first time.
Nanoshell whispering galleries improve thin solar panels
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Engineers at Stanford have created photovoltaic nanoshells that harness a peculiar physical phenomenon to better trap light in the solar materials. The results could dramatically improve their efficiency.
Stanford engineers weld nanowires with light
Friday, February 3, 2012
At the nano level, researchers at Stanford have discovered a new way to weld together meshes of tiny wires. Their work could lead to innovative electronics and solar applications.
Sorting out the nanotubes, for better electronics
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A new technique developed by Stanford researchers advances commercial potential of semiconducting carbon nanotubes for printable circuits, bendable display screens, stretchable electronics and solar technology.
