Critical mechanical structures: topological mechanics, thermal fluctuations, and metamaterials

All dates for this event occur in the past.

This is an online-only seminar being held via Zoom

Speaker: Prof. Xiaoming Mao from University of Michigan

Abstract: Mechanical networks on the verge of instability arises in both natural systems such as jammed packings and biological tissues, and engineered systems such as mechanical and acoustic metamaterials.  The proximity to mechanical instability endows these networks transformability and novel topologically protected modes.  In this talk, I will review fundamental theories of topological mechanics, discuss out recent work on effects of thermal fluctuations on the stability of these structures as they are miniaturized to the microscale, and applications of these designs in topological mechanical metamaterials.

About the Speaker: Xiaoming Mao obtained her PhD in physics at the University of Illinois at 2008. She worked at University of Pennsylvania as a postdoc researcher 2008-2012, and then started her tenure track position at the University of Michigan in 2012.  Xiaoming is now an associate professor of physics at the University of Michigan. Xiaoming’s research covers soft matter physics, statistical mechanics, self-assembly,  metamaterials, and biological physics.

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