USA travel 2017
This year Michael Engel traveled again to the USA with stops at the University of Michigan and Indiana University. Also, part of the stay was the observation of the total solar eclipse in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
New paper: “Band gap formation and Anderson localization”
A research collaboration with Uni Fribourg (Switzerland) lead to a joint publication in PNAS:
“It has been shown recently that disordered dielectrics can support a photonic band gap in the presence of structural correlations. This finding is surprising, because light transport in disordered media has long been exclusively associated with photon diffusion and Anderson localization. Currently, there exists no picture that may allow the classification of optical transport depending on the structural properties. Here, we make an important step toward solving this fundamental problem. Based on numerical simulations of transport statistics, we identify all relevant regimes in a 2D system composed of silicon rods: transparency, photon diffusion, classical Anderson localization, band gap, and a pseudogap tunneling regime. We summarize our findings in a transport phase diagram that organizes optical transport properties in disordered media.”
Band gap formation and Anderson localization in disordered photonic materials with structural correlations
L.S. Froufe-Perez, M. Engel, J.J. Saenz, F. Scheffold
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, 9570-9574 (2017)
Success at Emerging Talent Initiative
Alberto Leonardi received a grant from the Emerging Talent Initiative in the field of nano-structured single-particle inorganic materials. This initiative is designed to support excellent postdoctoral researchers by providing them with an opportunity to develop scientific independence and establish themselves in their field of research. Congratulations!
Science meets Fiction
EAM Science meets Fiction is a scientifically oriented exhibition that includes literature contributions. Our lab contributed one computer rendering of a clathrate crystal made from triangular bipyramids taken from a recent publication.
The exhibition takes place from Sept 16 to Oct 27 in the church “Kreuz+Quer, Haus der Kirche”, Bohlenplatz 1, 91054 Erlangen.
Welcome Zhiyu
Zhiyu Song joined the group as a PhD student. He will be working on hydrogels and simulate their mechanical properties. Welcome!
Antrittsvorlesung
At the Tag des CBI 2017 Prof. Michael Engel presented his inaugural lecture.
Welcome Marco
Marco Klement joined the group as a PhD student. He will be working on developing and applying computational methods for the study of anisotropic particles. Welcome!
Paper on DNA-programmable self-assembly published in ‚Science‘
A research collaboration involving Michael Engel reported the self-assembly of gold nanoparticles of a particular shape with DNA ligands into clathrate colloidal crystals. The work required a combined effort of state-of-the-art synthesis techniques and DEM computer simulations.
Clathrate Colloidal Crystals
Haixin Lin, Sangmin Lee, Lin Sun, Matthew Spellings, Michael Engel, Sharon C. Glotzer, Chad A. Mirkin
Science 335, 931-935 (2017)
Some publicity:
Welcome Alberto
Alberto Leonardi joined the group as a postdoctoral researcher. He will be working on simulations and analysis of the structure and microstructure of nanomaterials. Welcome!
Poster award for Eric
Congratulations to Eric Görlitzer for the first prize in the annual MAP poster contest with a poster on simulating disordered photonic materials!