Category: Research Highlights

UCI scientists measure local vibrational modes at individual crystalline faults

Breakthrough research made possible by advanced microscopic techniques Often admired for their flawless appearance to the naked eye, crystals can have defects at the nanometer scale, and these imperfections may affect the thermal and heat transport properties of crystalline materials used in a variety of high-technology devices. Employing newly developed electron microscopy techniques, researchers at…Continue Reading UCI scientists measure local vibrational modes at individual crystalline faults

Eutectic microstructure induced by flash sintering

By Yingjie Yang and Martha MecartneyMaterials Science and Engineering, UC Irvine LaPO4/Al2O3 eutectic microstructure produced by flash sintering, a process that uses an electric field to enhance densification at lower temperatures and shorter processing times. Flat-polished specimen imaged at 20 kV by SEM in backscattered electron mode. Bright regions are the LaPO4 phase. Image taken with FEI…Continue Reading Eutectic microstructure induced by flash sintering

Structural characterization of quantum dot superlattice by electron tomography

This study used the GrandARM to make a tomogram of a 3D quantum dot superlattice film. It’s state-of-the-art tomography using a full-tilt needle sample, with 0.65 nm resolution over a very large volume of 4.3 x 105 nm3. The full article can be found at J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020,8, 21339-21339  titled “Structural characterization of…Continue Reading Structural characterization of quantum dot superlattice by electron tomography