Principal Investigator Michael J Demkowicz
Recent work has focused upon the response of metallic nanocomposites to intense irradiation. Traditional structural materials degrade and fail under these conditions, but certain nanocomposites contain high volume fractions of “super sink” interfaces that allow them to self-heal. By understanding how radiation damage is trapped and removed at such interfaces, we aim to design of a new class of radiation-tolerant materials that would make future nuclear reactors maximally safe, sustainable, and efficient.