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Highlights

Synthesis of colloidal CuCr2Se4 NCs starts with formation of  copper selenide NCs followed by slow in-diffusion of Cr3+ to form the spinel. Colloidal annealing activates ferrimagnetism. A TEM image of single-crystalline CuCr2Se4 NCs, and 300K magnetic circular dichroism results showing strong near-IR magneto-optical response.
Synthesis of colloidal CuCr2Se4 NCs starts with formation of copper selenide NCs followed by slow in-diffusion of Cr3+ to form the spinel. Colloidal annealing activates ferrimagnetism. A TEM image of single-crystalline CuCr2Se4 NCs, and 300K magnetic circular dichroism results showing strong near-IR magneto-optical response.
Apr 4, 2025
Big Idea: Quantum Leap

MEM-C IRG-1: Ferrimagnetic CuCr2Se4 Nanocrystals with Strong Room-Temperature Magnetic Circular Dichroism

Brandi Cossairt, Daniel R. Gamelin, Jiun-Haw Chu

Magnetic materials are vital in technologies from spintronics to biomedicine. Coupling magnetism with optical responses broadens their utility to sensing, magneto-optical memory, and optical isolation. Chromium chalcogenide spinels display particularly rich magnetism and magneto-optical properties. Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) offer routes to solution-processing, heterointegration, and property modulation through size, shape, or heterostructure control, but many chalcogenide spinels have never been synthesized at the nanoscale, and little control over size or morphology has been demonstrated.
CAMM Partners with ORNL to Host “Neutron Day”
CAMM Partners with ORNL to Host “Neutron Day”
Jan 22, 2025
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

CAMM Partners with ORNL to Host “Neutron Day”

CAMM’s ECOR Team & Antonio dos Santos of ORNL coordinated the event

UTK-MRSEC The Center for Advanced Materials & Manufacturing partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to host the inaugural "Neutron Day," an event designed to deepen collaboration and foster interdisciplinary research connections.
Quantum Materials and Machine Learning Workshop
Quantum Materials and Machine Learning Workshop
Jan 22, 2025
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Quantum Materials and Machine Learning Workshop

Yang Zhang (UTK-MRSEC), Jacob Gayles (USF), Yishu Wang (UTK-MRSEC), David Mandrus (UTK-MRSEC / Oak Ridge), Student Organizer - Louis Primeau (UTK-MRSEC)

The recent Quantum Materials and Machine Learning Workshop brought together 22 invited speakers and in total 50 graduate students, postdoc, faculty attendees from 18 different institutions for an intensive exploration of cutting-edge developments at the intersection of quantum physics, materials science, and machine learning. The program featured established researchers alongside three postdoctoral fellows, fostering meaningful dialogue between different career stages.
CDCM Industrial Mentorship Program Prepares Students for the Workforce of Tomorrow
CDCM Industrial Mentorship Program Prepares Students for the Workforce of Tomorrow
Jun 13, 2024
Big Idea: Quantum Leap

CDCM Industrial Mentorship Program Prepares Students for the Workforce of Tomorrow

The Industrial Mentorship Program connects undergraduate students, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to a PhD level mentor in industry. This program is designed to (i) expose participants to fundamental research as it relates to societal and economic development; (ii) enable them to broaden their networks; and (iii) facilitate a successful transition into the workforce. The Industrial Mentor program entered its sixth program cycle during 2023-2024 and since its inception, 147 students have participated as mentees in the program, with 30 of those from the CIMA PREM at Texas State University.
K-5 Research Experience for Teachers (RET)
K-5 Research Experience for Teachers (RET)
Jun 13, 2024
University of Texas at Austin

K-5 Research Experience for Teachers (RET)

CDCM’s Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program engages elementary school teachers in materials research at UT Austin during the summer and has created lasting impact over the past six years. The program aims to increase teacher efficacy in research practices and guide teachers in integrating what they learn into their instructional practice. The end goals are to enhance students’ engagement in science and increase students’ awareness of and interest in STEM fields.  
Nonlinear Rheological Behavior of Dynamic Covalent Gels
Nonlinear Rheological Behavior of Dynamic Covalent Gels
Jun 13, 2024
University of Texas at Austin

Nonlinear Rheological Behavior of Dynamic Covalent Gels

Hydrogels with dynamic linkers have garnered intense interest for applications that require flow, including injectable delivery vehicles and 3D bioprinting inks. However, to fully enable these applications, there remains a need to understand how linking chemistry affects gelation and nonlinear rheological properties. To probe this relationship, UT Austin MRSEC researchers developed synthetic multi-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG) gels linked with dynamic covalent bonds.
Interplay between phonon chirality and electronic topology
Interplay between phonon chirality and electronic topology
Jun 13, 2024
University of Texas at Austin

Interplay between phonon chirality and electronic topology

UT Austin researchers used polarization-dependent terahertz magnetospectroscopy to observe Zeeman splittings and diamagnetic shifts in a series of Pb1-xSnxTe films, which transition from a topologically trivial insulator to a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) phase as the Sn concentration increases beyond 0.32. This study demonstrates a substantial phonon magnetic moment films in the TCI phase exhibited phonon magnetic moment values significantly larger—by two orders of magnitude—than those in the topologically trivial sample.
Spin–orbit exciton–induced phonon chirality in a quantum magnet
Spin–orbit exciton–induced phonon chirality in a quantum magnet
Jun 13, 2024
University of Texas at Austin

Spin–orbit exciton–induced phonon chirality in a quantum magnet

The interplay of charge, spin, lattice, and orbital degrees of freedom in correlated materials often leads to rich and exotic properties. Recent studies have brought new perspectives to bosonic collective excitations in correlated materials. MRSEC researchers with UT Austin report phonon properties resulting from a combination of strong spin–orbit coupling, large crystal field splitting, and trigonal distortion in CTO.
Crowding Alters Secondary Structure in F-actin Bundles
Crowding Alters Secondary Structure in F-actin Bundles
Jun 13, 2024
University of Texas at Austin

Crowding Alters Secondary Structure in F-actin Bundles

The cytoskeletal component actin plays a crucial role in various cellular functions, including cell shape regulation and intracellular transport, by forming filaments and networks. Despite the current understanding of actin's morphological versatility, the impact of crowded environments—specifically how actin filaments organize into bundles and how this organization changes the protein secondary structure—remains under-explored. Here, we used two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy and structure based spectral calculations to map out structural changes of actin filaments under two degrees of crowding and bundling.
Internal Advisory Council: Promoting the Student Perspective
Internal Advisory Council: Promoting the Student Perspective
Jun 13, 2024
Ohio State University

Internal Advisory Council: Promoting the Student Perspective

The CEM Student Internal Advisory Council advises CEM in the interests of students and postdocs and organizes technical and team-building events.