SURF Mentoring

Potential projects/topics: My group works on soft materials. One of the material classes we study, liquid crystals, can be studied using a microscope at our lab, called a polarized optical microscope. The polarized optical microscope is a simple but powerful tool. A new member can learn how to operate a polarized optical microscope fairly quickly and get started on an independent research project. The entry barrier is very low for studying liquid crystals with a polarized microscope and my past work on liquid crystals has had undergrad co-authors. Beautiful images of liquid crystals can be acquired using a polarized microscope, and the aesthetic beauty can increase student engagement in science. The student will work on a class of water based liquid crystals called chromonic liquid crystals which exhibit a fascinating set of properties both from a fundamental physics standpoint and for applications such as chemical and biological sensing. The student will work on organizing these materials using lithographically defined patterns that will be fabricated by a postdoc in my group.

Potential skills gained: The student will learn to use Polarized Optical microscopy, a technique widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The student will also gain knowledge about liquid crystals, a material class widely used in the display industry.

Required qualifications or skills: none listed

Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I., Post-doctorate