Society of Physics Students Talk: Corey O’Hern, Yale Department of Mechanical Engineering, “Macroscale self-assembled materials”

The physical properties of all materials emerge from the collective behavior of their constituents. At the atomic and molecular levels, thermal fluctuations dominate and free energy minimization determines collective behavior.  However, for collections of macroscopic objects, thermal motion is absent and the underlying physical concepts that control material properties are unknown. The O’Hern group seeks to create a theoretical framework for macroscale assemblies analogous to that provided by quantum and classical statistical mechanics for atomic and molecular systems, which will create unprecedented capabilities to engineer novel materials with highly tunable properties.