Physics of Glasses and Viscous Liquids

The last decade of efforts in supercooled liquid and glass research is paying off handsomely. Rapid improvements in numerical and experimental methods have notably led to novel microscopic insights into the dynamics and structure of glass formers. A parallel burst of theoretical activity further suggests that certain controversies about the glass transition could soon be resolved. For this focus session, we bring together some of the key scientists involved in these advances to explore together the path ahead.

Organizers:
Patrick Charbonneau
Duke University

Mark Ediger
University of Wisconsin

Supercooled and Nanoconfined Water

Supercooled water shows a number of thermodynamic, structural and dynamical anomalies, and to explain them several hypotheses have been put forward. This focus session will present the most recent experimental, computational and theoretical developments on understanding cold and supercooled liquid water, the interplay between anomalies in the liquid state and crystallization of ice, the nature of the glass phases of water and their glass transition signatures, and the effect of nanoconfinement and solutes on the stable and metastable phase diagram of water.

Organizers:
Valeria Molinero
University of Utah

Anders Nilsson
SLAC

Motor Dynamics: From Single Molecules to Cells

Molecular motors are integral components of the living cell, powering important processes ranging from DNA replication to cell division. This focus session brings together interdisciplinary scientists interested in the physical mechanisms of individual motors as well as ensembles of motors working together. Active exchanges of the latest experimental data with theoretical/computational perspectives are encouraged.

Organizers:
Sean Sun
Johns Hopkins University

Zev Bryant
Stanford University

Protein Misfolding and Aggregation

The cell relies on the presence of correctly folded, functional proteins in order to operate. Protein misfolding and ensuing self-assembly into toxic aggregates can have deleterious effects on the cell. This focus session will present experimental and theoretical developments on understanding the kinetics and dynamics of the misfolding and aggregation processes in solution and on membrane surfaces, and structural determination of the self-assembling species ranging from small soluble oligomers to large fibrils.

Organizers:
Elsa Yan
Yale University

Joan-Emma Shea
University of California, Santa Barbara

Multiscale Modeling: Coarse-graining in Space and Time

Nature abounds in multiscale phenomena in which complex emergent dynamics on the mesoscale demonstrate exquisite sensitivity to subtle atomic interactions. Multiscale models provide a powerful computational framework for addressing this coupling between disparate length and time scales. This focus session surveys recent advances and outstanding challenges in the development of multiscale methods, and leading applications that highlight the power and promise of such models.

Organizers:
William Noid
Pennsylvania State University

Garyk Papoian
University of Maryland

DCP Prize session: Broida, Langmuir, Plyler, and Research in an Undergraduate Institution presentations

Organizer:
James Skinner
University of Wisconsin

Quantum Simulation with Atomic, Molecular and Optical Systems

The ability to engineer physical many-body states with well characterized atomic or optical systems provides the capability to simulate fundamental models of interacting   particles in a controlled setting. This focus session will highlight recent experimental and theoretical progress in realizing and studying important many-body states with atomic, molecular or optical systems.

Attosecond Physics of Nanostructures and Surfaces

Ten years after the first proof of principle experiments have launched attosecond science as a new subfield of AMO physics, it appears timely to seriously think about resolving the electronic dynamics on an attoscecond time scale not just in isolated atoms but in complex systems. This session brings together attosecond AMO and CM physicists and materials scientists to review first efforts along these lines and to brainstorm viable new avenues for the second decade of attosecond science, in particular with regard to applications in novel ultrafast electronics and diagnostics (PEEM).

DMP/DCOMP

Dielectric and Ferroic Oxides

This topic focuses on dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric phenomena in oxides, their characterization by a broad range of techniques, and the growth of such materials in bulk, thin-film, superlattice, and nanostructured forms. Experimental results as well as theoretical, modeling/simulation, and materials-by-design approaches will be discussed. Specific areas of interest include domain structure and dynamics, lattice dielectric properties, physics of phase transitions, the coupling and/or interplay between (anti-) ferroelectric, piezoelectric, optical, transport, elastic and magnetic properties and the effect of interfaces and nanoscale geometries on these properties. Contributions addressing the design and synthesis of dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric oxides for energy conversion and storage devices are particularly encouraged, as are those addressing the design or investigation of the previously mentioned properties using interdisciplinary, e.g. solid-state chemical, approaches. As there is potential overlap with other focus topics in the areas of energy, multiferroics and interfaces, the organizers will share information to group abstracts in a consistent fashion. In general, authors in these areas are encouraged to submit their abstracts to this topic if the presented work focuses on ferroelectric or piezoelectric properties.

Organizers:
Nicole Benedek
University of Texas at Austin
Email: benedek@utexas.edu

Albina Y. Borisevich
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Email: albinab@ornl.gov

Gustau Catalan
Centre d’Investigacions en Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia (CIN2)
Email: gustau.catalan@cin2.es

DMP

Topological Materials: Synthesis and Characterization

There has been rapid growth in the study of topological insulators, materials in which the combined effects of the spin-orbit interaction and fundamental symmetries yield a bulk energy gap and novel gapless surface states. Moreover, the field has expanded in scope to include superconductors and semimetals with nontrivial topology. The observation of theoretical predictions depends greatly on sample quality and there remain significant challenges in identifying and synthesizing the underlying materials having properties amenable to the study of the surface states. This topic will focus on fundamental advances in the synthesis of candidate topological materials in various forms including bulk single crystals, exfoliated and epitaxial thin films, epitaxially modulated heterostructures, nanowires, and nanoribbons - as well as theoretical studies that illuminate the synthesis effort and identify new candidate materials. Of equal interest is the characterization of these samples using structural, electrical, magnetic, optical and other techniques, with particular focus on identifying samples whose properties are dominated by the surface states.

Organizers:
Nicholas P. Butch
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Email: butch1@llnl.gov

Jagadeesh Moodera
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Email: moodera@mit.edu

DMP

Dopants and Defects in Semiconductors

Impurities and native defects profoundly affect the electronic and optical properties of semiconductor materials. Incorporation of impurities is nearly always a necessary step for tuning the electrical properties in semiconductors. In some cases, as in dilute III-V alloys, impurities even modify the band gap. Defects control carrier concentration, mobility, lifetime, and recombination; they are also responsible for the mass-transport processes involved in migration, diffusion, and precipitation of impurities and host atoms. The control of impurities and defects is the critical factor that enables a semiconductor to be engineered for use in electronic and optoelectronic devices as has been widely recognized in the remarkable development of Si-based electronics, the current success of GaN-based blue LED and lasers, and the emergence of ZnO for nanoelectronics sensors, and transparent conducting displays. The fundamental understanding, characterization and control of defects and impurities are essential for the development of new devices, such as those based on novel wide-band gap semiconductors, spintronic materials, and low-dimensional structures. The physics of dopants and defects in semiconductors, from the bulk to the nanoscale, including surfaces and interfaces, is the subject of this focus topic. The electronic, structural, optical, and magnetic properties of impurities and defects in elemental and compound semiconductors, SiO₂ and alternative dielectrics, wide band-gap materials such as diamond, SiC, group-III nitrides, and oxide semiconductors are of interest. Abstracts on experimental and theoretical investigations are solicited.

Organizers:
Mary Ellen Zvanut
University of Alabama-Birmingham
Email: mezvanut@uab.edu

Matt McCluskey
Washington State University
Email: mattmcc@wsu.edu

DMP/DCOMP

Fe-based Superconductors

Substantial experimental and theoretical progress has been made toward understanding the unusual normal and superconducting state properties of iron based superconductors. Yet, many challenges and controversies exist, some driven by recent discoveries of new materials that differ radically from the original set. This focused session will cover the latest experimental and theoretical issues pertaining to the normal and superconducting properties of Fe-based superconductors and their parent compounds. The goal is to understand the relationship between different crystalline, magnetic and electronic structures related to the high critical temperatures and to cultivate the potential for discovering new superconducting systems.

Organizers:
John Tranquada
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Email: jtran@bnl.gov

Igor Mazin
Naval Research Laboratory
Email: Igor.Mazin@nrl.navy.mil

Wai-Kwong Kwok
Argonne National Laboratory
Email: wkwok@anl.gov

DMP

Search for New Superconductors

This topic will focus on fundamental advances in the growth, characterization, and experimental as well as theoretical understanding of new superconducting materials with the exclusion of the recently discovered magnesium diborides, pnictides, and calcoginides. The main goal of this focus topic is to explore non-conventional ideas in superconductivity, and to foster the exchange of information about discoveries that may conceive a change in our understanding of superconductivity. Its purpose is to promote interaction among theorists and experimentalists and seed new directions in superconductivity research, especially in areas cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries. Areas of interest include new approaches in the study of superconductivity in complex materials, metamaterials, heterojunctions, and hybrid structures. The focus topic will cover a wide range of novel superconductors such as organics and intercalation compounds. The creation of superconducting nanostructures with atomic scale control using physical and chemical methods is also of interest. The focus topic will specifically include research on understanding of mechanisms for improvements in superconducting materials, engineering superconductors with ab initio methods, empirical approaches in the search for novel superconductors, and theoretical predictions leading past serendipitous discovery to predictive design.

Organizers:
Horst Rogalla
University of Twente
Email: h.rogalla@utwente.nl

Warren Pickett
University of California, Davis
Email: pickett@physics.ucdavis.edu

Ivan Bozovic
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Email: bozovic@bnl.gov

DMP/GMAG

Magnetic Nanostructures: Materials and Phenomena

This topic focuses on magnetic nanostructures and the novel properties that arise in magnetic materials at the nanoscale. Magnetic nanostructures of interest include thin films, multilayers, superlattices, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanorings, nanocomposite materials, hybrid nanostructures, spin phenomena in nanoscale organics, magnetic point contacts and self-assembled as well as patterned magnetic arrays. Sessions will include talks on the methods used to synthesize such nanostructures, the variety of materials used, and the latest, original theoretical and experimental advances. Synthesis and characterization techniques that demonstrate nano- or atomic-scale control of properties will be featured. Phenomena and properties of interest include: magnetization dynamics, magnetic interactions, magnetic quantum confinement, spin tunneling and spin crossover, proximity and structural disorder effects, strain effects, microwave resonance and microwave assisted reversal, magnetic anisotropy, and thermal and quantum fluctuations.

Organizers:
Kristen Buchanan
Colorado State University
Email: Kristen.Buchanan@colostate.edu

Z. Q. Qiu
University of California, Berkeley
Email: qiu@socrates.berkeley.edu

DMP/GMAG

Emergent Properties in Bulk Complex Oxides

The emergence of exotic states of matter from the intricate coupling of the electronic and lattice degrees of freedom is a unique feature in strongly correlated electron systems. Included in this class are the complex oxides of 3-, 4-, and 5-d transition metal compounds that exhibit a wide range of novel physical properties stemming from the complex nature of the competing interactions and nearly degenerate multiple ground states. Associated with this complexity is a tendency for new forms of order such as the formation of stripes, ladders, checkerboards, or phase separation, and an enhanced response to external influences. This Focus Topic explores the nature of various exotic states observed in bulk specimens of complex oxides and their competing interactions, the ways in which the spin, lattice, charge, and orbital degrees of freedom respond on a variety of length scales, and how they interact and compete with each other to produce novel phenomena. It provides a forum to discuss recent developments and results covering basic aspects (new materials synthesis, experiment, theory and simulation) of bulk systems. Note there is some overlap in topic with other DMP and GMAG sessions on oxides. The organizers of all of the related focus sessions will share information and work together to make an optimal meeting program.

Organizers:
Laurent Chapon
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Email: chapon@ill.fr

Tsuyoshi Kimura
Osaka University
Email: kimura@mp.es.osaka-u.ac.jp

Jeff Lynn
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Email: jeffrey.lynn@nist.gov

DMP/GMAG

Magnetic Oxide Thin Films and Heterostructures

Magnetism in complex oxides has long been a rich field of study in condensed matter physics due to the strong interactions between the spin, charge, lattice, and orbital degrees of freedom. When magnetic oxides are prepared in the form of thin films they can exhibit additional effects due to epitaxial strain, reduced dimensionality, interfacial charge transfer, electronic reconstruction, proximity effects, etc. These effects generate exciting new prospects both for discovery of fundamental physics and development of technological applications. This Focus Topic is dedicated to developments in the understanding of the electronic and magnetic properties of oxide thin films, heterostructures, superlattices, and nanostructures, with an emphasis on synthesis, characterization, theoretical modeling, and novel device physics. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to, growth of oxide materials, control of their magnetic properties and ordering, magnetotransport, strongly correlated or “Mott” systems, strong spin-orbit coupling effects, and recent developments in theoretical prediction and materials-design approaches. Advances in techniques to probe and image magnetic order in complex oxide thin films (including optical and electron-probes, and neutron/synchrotron-based techniques) are also emphasized. Note that overlap exists with other DMP and GMAG focus sessions. As a rule of thumb, if magnetism plays a key role in the investigation or the properties observed, then the talk is appropriate for this focus topic. The organizers of all of the related focus sessions will share information and work together with the March Meeting Program Committee to ensure an optimal meeting program.

Organizers:
Anand Bhattacharya
Argonne National Laboratory
Email: anand@anl.gov

Chris Leighton
University of Minnesota
Email: leighton@umn.edu

Yayoi Takamura
University of California, Davis
Email: ytakamura@ucdavis.edu

DMP/FIAP/
GMAG

Spin Transport and Magnetization Dynamics in Metals-Based Systems

Spin-related effects in metals and in ferromagnetic heterostructures are generally robust and observable at room temperature. Discoveries such as giant and tunnel magnetoresistance and spin-transfer torque are moving from discovery to applications rapidly. Fundamental spin-dependent transport physics, novel materials and thin film structures are being actively explored in metallic multilayer-based junctions and magnetic tunnel junctions for deeper understanding and potentially new functional materials and devices. This Focus Topic aims to capture new developments in these areas, including experimental and theoretical aspects of spin transport and magnetization dynamics in mostly metal-based systems, such as ultrathin films, lateral nanostructures, perpendicular nanopillars, and tunnel junctions. In particular, contributions describing new results in the following areas are solicited: (i) The interplay between spin currents and magnetization dynamics in magnetic nanostructures; spin-transfer, spin pumping and related phenomena, including current-induced magnetization dynamics in heterostructures and domain wall motion in magnetic wires; (ii) Theoretical predictions and/or experimental discovery of half-metallic band structures, both in bulk solids and at the surfaces of thin films. Spin transport and magnetization dynamics in magnetic nanostructures (e.g. TMR, CPP-GMR and lateral spin valve structures) based on half-metallic materials; (iii) Effects of spin-orbit interaction on steady-state and dynamic properties of nanostructures including: the (inverse) spin-Hall and anomalous-Hall effects, microscopic mechanisms of magnetization damping, the effects of interface spin-orbit interaction, and spin-orbit interaction as a means for spin-current generation; (iv) Electric field control of magnetic properties (e.g. anisotropy, phase transition, exchange bias,…), including but not limited to: hybrid metals/oxide structures, piezoelectric layer coupled to ferromagnetic films, electrolyte/ferromagnetic systems; (v) Ultrafast magnetization response to (and reversal by) intense laser pulses; magnetization dynamics at elevated temperatures and thermally assisted magnetization reversal; (vi) Thermoelectric spin phenomena such as giant-magneto thermopower and Peltier effects, spin-Seebeck effect, spin and anomalous Nernst and Ettingshausen effects (spin caloritronics); (vii) Thermal gradient and/or RF driven magnonic magnetization dynamics in nanostructures including spin wave excitation, propagation, and detection. Interactions between electronic spin-current and magnon propagations in thin film and device structures; (viii) General considerations of spin-angular momentum current flow, energy flow, and entropy flow, conservation laws and Onsagar-reciprocal relationships.

Organizers:
Jordan Katine
HGST
Email: Jordan.Katine@hgst.com

Joo-Von Kim
CNRS
Email: joo-von.kim@u-psud.fr

Jonathan Sun
IBM
Email: jonsun@us.ibm.com

GMAG/DMP/
FIAP

Spin Dependent Phenomena in Semiconductors

The field of spin dependent phenomena in semiconductors shows rapid advances as well as challenges in a widening range of new effects and materials systems (e.g. heterostructures, III-Vs, Si and Ge, diamond, graphene and organics), and new structures (e.g. semiconductor quantum structures and nanostructures, wires and carbon nanotubes, hybrid ferromagnetic/semiconductor structures). This focus topic solicits contributions aimed at understanding spin dependent processes in magnetic and non-magnetic structures incorporating semiconducting materials. Topics include: (i) electrical and optical spin injection, spin Hall effects, spin dependent topological effects, spin interference, spin filtering, spin lifetime effects, spin dependent scattering, and spin torque; (ii) growth, characterization, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of (ferro-)magnetic semiconductors, nanocomposites, and hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor structures, including quantum dots, nanocrystals, and nanowires; (iii) spin dependent transport, spin dependent thermal effects, and dynamical effects in semiconductors with or without spin-orbit interactions; (iv) manipulation, detection, and entanglement of electronic and nuclear spins in quantum systems such as dots, impurities and point defects; (v) ferromagnetism in semiconductors and semiconductor oxides; and (vi) spin dependent devices and device proposals involving ferromagnets and semiconductors.

Organizers:
Jean Heremans
Virginia Tech
Email: heremans@vt.edu

Hideo Ohno
Tohoku University
Email: ohno@riec.tohoku.ac.jp

Jairo Sinova
Texas A&M University
Email: sinova@physics.tamu.edu

DMP/GMAG

Frustrated Magnetism

Simple antiferromagnets on bipartite lattices have well-understood ground states, elementary excitations, thermodynamic phases and phase transitions. At the forefront of current research are frustrated magnets where competing interactions suppress magnetic order and may lead to qualitatively new behavior. Frustrated magnets may realize novel quantum-disordered ground states with fractionalized excitations akin to those found in one-dimensional antiferromagnets, but with a number of novel features. They are also sensitive to nominally small perturbations and interact in a non-trivial way with orbital and lattice degrees of freedom. This Focus Topic solicits abstracts for presentations that explore both theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. The themes to be represented are united by geometrical frustration: valence-bond solids and other exotic orders, spin ice, quantum spin liquids, order from disorder, magnetoelastic coupling, and novel field-induced behavior. Also of interest are the effects of strongly fluctuating spins on properties beyond magnetism including transport, thermal transport and ferroelectricity.

Organizers:
Collin Broholm
Johns Hopkins University
Email: broholm@jhu.edu

Andreas Läuchli
Universität Insbruck
Email: andreas.laeuchli@uibk.ac.at

Ashvin Vishwanath
University of California, Berkeley
Email: ashvinv@socrates.berkeley.edu

DMP/GMAG

Spin-Dependent Physics in Carbon-Based Materials

This focus topic is on spin transport, spin dynamics and exchange phenomena in carbon-based materials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, diamond as well as organic and molecular solids, organic radical systems, and p-conjugated organic/polymeric systems. These issues are of great current interest because of advances in spin relaxation times in graphene and breakthrough results in the field of ‘organic spintronics’, a new research area focused not only on the traditional topics of spintronics such as spin-polarization and spin-orbit effects but more importantly on spin-selection rules and spin-permutation symmetry effects. Research at the intersection of several forefront areas in condensed-matter and material physics will be covered: spin injection at the metallic ferromagnet to graphene and inorganic to organic interface, the degree of spin polarization attainable by organic based solids, spin coherence and relaxation related to extrinsic spin-orbit coupling effects, hyperfine interaction between the electronic spin and nuclear magnetic moments, as well as magnetic exchange, magnetic ordering and correlation effects. Phenomena, materials of interest and the application for advanced devices include hybrid ferromagnetic/organic structures, spin transport in graphene and carbon nanotubes, spin qubits in diamond, quantum tunneling of the magnetic moment, magnetic field effects (e.g., organic magnetoresistance), singlet/triplet issues, spin resonance in organic semiconductors, organic spin valves and spin-polarized organic light emitting diodes.

Organizers:
Christoph Boehme
University of Utah
Email: boehme@physics.utah.edu

Gernot Guntherodt
Aachen University
Email: gernot.guentherodt@physik.rwth-aachen.de

Minn-Tsong Lin
National Taiwan University
Email: mtlin@phys.ntu.edu.tw

DMP/GMAG

Low-Dimensional and Molecular Magnetism

The control and manipulation of spin and charge degrees of freedom in nanoscale systems has become a major challenge during the last decades, triggered by exciting applications in emerging technologies such as quantum computation and spintronics among others. For this goal to be accomplished, a complete understanding of the quantum behavior of interacting electronic and even nuclear spins in solid state systems is necessary. For conventional three-dimensional magnetic materials a robust framework for describing the low temperature structures, phase transitions, and excitations exists. However, when fluctuations are enhanced by low dimensionality, qualitatively new behavior can emerge. Low dimensional magnetic systems have become prototype systems in this direction. For example, the synthetic flexibility of molecule-based magnets allows the magnetic quantum response of the system to be engineered. This Focus Topic solicits abstracts that explore inorganic and organic molecule-based as well as solid state systems, and both theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. Topics of interest include: magnetism in zero, one, and two dimensions (e.g. quantum dots, single molecule magnets, spin chains, lattices), order by disorder, the role of magnetoelastic, spin-orbit and exchange couplings, quantum critical low dimensional spin systems, topological excitations, quantum tunneling of magnetization, coherence phenomena and novel field-induced behavior.

Organizers:
Stephen Hill
Florida State University
Email: shill@magnet.fsu.edu

Stefano Carretta
University of Parma
Email: stefano.carretta@unipr.it

Sebastian Loth
Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research
Email: sebastian.loth@mpsd.cfel.de

DMP

Graphene: Synthesis, Defects and Properties

Graphene continues to attract strong interest within the scientific community because of its unique physical and chemical properties and prospects in a wide range of applications from RF transistors to supercapacitors. A number of scalable approaches have been developed to produce single- and few-layer films of graphene. Two major synthetic routes are epitaxial growth on SiC wafers and chemical vapor deposition on metal and non-metal substrates. This graphene focus topic will cover (i) experimental, theoretical, and computational studies illuminating various aspects of the growth process including e. g. layer number and stacking geometry control, the formation of topological and structural defects, grain size and grain boundary control, and the effect of substrate chemistry, crystallography and strain (ii) methods of doping (iii) templated growth of nanostructures and bottom-up integration with other materials (iv) characterization and modeling of the structural, mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of the synthesized graphene, and (v) methods for transferring synthesized graphene to other substrates and the impact of the transfer process.

Organizers:
Jun Zhu
The Pennsylvania State University
Email: jzhu@phys.psu.edu

Luigi Colombo
Texas Instruments
Email: colombo@ti.com

DMP

Graphene: Structure, Stacking, and Interactions

The study of graphene, a single atomic plane of graphite, remains a rapidly growing field of research. This topic will focus on the materials physics of graphene produced by mechanical or chemical means, including single layer, bilayer, trilayer, and higher multilayer graphenes as well as structurally or chemically modified graphenes. We invite experimental and theoretical contributions in the following areas: (i) the physics of structurally or chemically modified graphenes, including the effect of defects, edges, adatoms, adsorbates, and strain on graphene's material properties, (ii) the physics of epitaxial graphenes, including the properties of multilayer graphene films, (iii) interactions of exfoliated or chemically grown graphenes with different substrates and the environment.

Organizers:
Debdeep Jena
University of Notre Dame
Email: mele@physics.upenn.edu

Randall Feenstra
Carnegie Mellon University
Email: feenstra@cmu.edu

DMP

Graphene Devices: Function, Fabrication, and Characterization

The unique properties of graphene have led to great excitement about its potential device applications. However, numerous open questions surround the challenges and promise of creating such devices at a practical level. This Focus Topic relates to experimental and theoretical studies of devices based on single- and multi-layered graphene. The devices considered include (but are not limited to) electronic, optical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical graphene devices. We invite contributions on topics including: (i) the fabrication, measurements, and modeling of graphene devices, (ii) proposals for or tests of devices that exploit the unique properties of graphene, and (iii) materials, environmental, or other issues that enable or limit graphene devices.

Organizers:
James Hone
Columbia University
Email: jh2228@columbia.edu

Michael Fuhrer
University of Maryland
Email: mfuhrer@umd.edu

Deji Akinwande
University of Texas-Austin
Email: deji@ece.utexas.edu

DMP

Carbon Nanotubes and Related Materials: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

Interest in the fundamental properties and applications of carbon nanotubes and related materials remains high. This is because of their unique combination of electrical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, optical, spectroscopic and magnetic properties. This focus topic addresses recent developments in the fundamental understanding of nanotubes and related materials, including synthesis, characterization, processing, purification, chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. This session will highlight how these properties lead to existing and potential applications for interconnects, transistors, thermal management, composites, super-capacitors, nanosensors, nanoprobes, field emitters, storage media, and magnetic devices. Experimental and theoretical contributions are solicited in the following areas:

• Synthesis and characterization of nanotubes, nanohorns, and related nanostructures;
• Control or optimization of growth, including chirality control and in-situ studies;
• Purification, separation, chemical functionalization, alignment/assembly;
• Structure and properties of hybrid systems, including filled and chemically modified carbon nanotubes and nanotube peapods;
• Mechanical and thermal properties of these nanostructures and their composites;
• Electrical and magnetic properties of these systems;
• Mesoscopic, structural, optical, opto-electronic and transport properties as well as their spectroscopic characterization.
• BN and other inorganic nanotubes; other 3D sp²-carbon

The focus topic will also cover the broad applications of these nanosystems, including:

• Electronic devices including interconnects, supercapacitors, transistors, memory;
• Thermal management applications;
• Multifunctional nanotube composites;
• Chemical and bio-sensing applications;
• Field emission; and
• New generations of magnetic and electronic devices

Organizers:
Eric A. Stach
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Email: estach@bnl.gov

Aaron Franklin
IBM Yorktown Heights
Email: aaronf@us.ibm.com

Boris Yakobson
Rice University
Email: biy@rice.edu

DMP

Van der Waals Bonding in Advanced Materials

Van der Waals bonds occur in all materials and are particularly important in regions with low electron concentration. van der Waals forces impact material structure and behavior, both when they dominate the binding, and when they compete with other binding mechanisms like covalent or ionic binding. This topic session will focus on the materials physics of van der Waal interactions. It will highlight recent advances in theory, and applications that lead toward a deeper understanding, more quantitative descriptions, or establish links between van der Waals bonding and materials properties. Experimental work that details a van der Waals nature in cohesion or function and theoretical treatments of specific materials problems are featured to stimulate further experiment-theory exchange and open possibilities for stronger tests of materials modeling.

Organizers:
Per Hyldgaard
Chalmers University
Email: hyldgaar@chalmers.se

Roberto Car
Princeton University
Email: rcar@princeton.edu

Jacqueline Krim
North Carolina State University
Email: jkrim@unity.ncsu.edu

DMP/DCOMP

Computational Discovery and Design of Novel Materials

Advances in theoretical understanding, algorithms and computational power are enabling computational tools to play an increasing role in materials discovery, development and optimization. For example, recently developed data mining techniques and genetic algorithms enable the "virtual synthesis" of novel materials, with their properties being predicted on a computer before ever being synthesized in a laboratory. This focus topic will cover recent methodological developments and applications at the frontier of computational materials discovery and design, ranging from quantum-level prediction to macro-scale property optimization. Of particular interest are computational and theoretical studies that features a strong connection to experiment. Topics include but are not limited to first principles materials discovery, algorithm to search structure-composition design space, data mining techniques, innovations that improve the scope, accuracy, and efficiency of computational materials discovery and design, and applications ranging from energy conversion and storage materials (thermoelectrics, batteries, fuel cells, photovoltaics), to novel materials for data processing (spintronics, 2D materials).

Organizers:
Richard Hennig
Cornell University
Email: rhennig@cornell.edu

Kristin Persson
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Email: KAPersson@lbl.gov