Speaker: Dr. Salvador Barraza-Lopez, Physics, University of Arkansas.
Date: Wednesday, November 6th, 2019, 5:15PM-6:15PM
Location: SCEN 204

Title: Geometry and topology of atomically flat materials

Abstract:

Geometry and topology are important tools in materials research. Atomically-thin materials are membranes that can be employed to define geometrical shapes and examples of topological defects on surfaces. These soft materials have physical, chemical, and mechanical properties that strongly depend on shape [1]. In this talk, I will show a use of geometrical tools nowadays employed for movie rendering, as they apply to ultrathin materials [2,3,4]. I will also display two examples of topological defects and how they alter shape. A qualitative (non-formal) discussion of evolution of material properties will be presented along.
[1] R. Jones, Soft Condensed Matter, Oxford Master Series in Physics (Oxford U. Press, Oxford, UK, 2002).
[2] Discrete Differential Geometry. Editors: Alexander I. Bobenko TU Berlin, Peter Schröder, John M. Sullivan, Günter M. Ziegler. Springer Science & Business Media, 2008.
[3] Graphene’s morphology and electronic properties from discrete differential geometry. A. A. Pacheco Sanjuan, Z. Wang, H. Pour Imani, M. Vanevic, and SBL. PRB 89, 121403(R) (2014).
[4] Strain and the optoelectronic properties of non-planar phosphorene monolayers. M. Mehboudi, K. Utt, H. Terrones, E. O. Harriss, A. A. Pacheco SanJuan, and SBL. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 112, 5888 (2015).
Bio: Salvador Barraza-Lopez grew up in Mexico City and obtained a bachelors in Physics in Mathematics from Instituto Politecnico Nacional. He received a PhD degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and performed postdoctoral work at Virginia Tech and at Georgia Tech. He is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arkansas and a Department of Energy Early Career Awardee. He works on the theory of two-dimensional materials.
print