Research
The Nanosystems Lab develops multiscale engineered systems that integrate applied mechanics, materials, computation, and automation across micro/nano devices, structural interfaces, and mechanically intelligent assemblies.
Our work connects fundamental mechanics and materials behavior to practical engineering systems. We study how geometry, material properties, surface interactions, fabrication processes, and environmental conditions shape performance across scales — from microscale devices and material interfaces to reusable mechanical attachment systems and automated experimental platforms.
Research Areas
Mechanically Intelligent Structures and Interlocking Systems
We design and study mechanical interlocking systems for applications in heterogeneous integration, frame assembly, panel attachment, and reusable structural connections. This work examines how geometry, friction, adhesion, elasticity, buckling, and stress concentration influence mechanical performance across length scales.
Current interests include micromechanical interlocking structures for electronic and RF assembly, mechanically interlocking metamaterial concepts, compliant mechanisms as reusable fasteners, and rapid assembly systems for frames, panels, and semi-permanent structures.
Multiscale Mechanics, Modeling, and Characterization
We use experiments and computational modeling to understand mechanical behavior across scales. This includes materials characterization, nanoindentation, nonlinear mechanics, thin-shell buckling, surface-force interactions, digital twins, and computational modeling of devices and structures.
The lab combines experimental measurements with tools such as CAD, finite element modeling, COMSOL, FEniCS, Python, MATLAB, and custom analysis workflows. These approaches help connect physical measurements to design rules for engineered structures and devices.
Open Hardware and Research Automation
We develop open and adaptable hardware and software systems for research automation. These systems support automated experimentation, process control, sample handling, coating engineering, gas adsorption measurements, and data acquisition.
A major goal is to make experimental research more reproducible, scalable, and accessible by combining mechanical design, instrumentation, software, and automation. Current work includes automated dip coating, colloid assembly, gas adsorption measurement, and laboratory process automation.
Materials, Processing, and Engineered Surfaces
The lab studies materials and processing methods relevant to nanoscale and microscale systems, including nanomaterial applications, wet chemistry, thermal processing, scalable materials processing, and engineered surface properties.
We are interested in how processing conditions, material structure, and environmental interactions affect performance in devices, interfaces, coatings, and mechanical systems.
Research Approach
The lab combines experimental engineering, mathematical modeling, computational simulation, software development, and hands-on prototyping. Projects often integrate multiple levels of analysis: fundamental mechanics, materials characterization, device design, system assembly, automation, and application-specific testing.
This structure allows students to contribute to real engineering problems while developing technical depth in mechanics, materials, manufacturing, instrumentation, computation, and research communication.