WANG RESEARCH GROUP
University of Miami

"As we go down in size, there are a number of interesting problems that arise. All things do not simply scale down in proportion. There is the problem that materials stick together by the molecular (Van der Waals) attractions. It would be like this: After you have made a part and you unscrew the nut from a bolt, it isn't going to fall down because the gravity isn't appreciable; it would even be hard to get it off the bolt. It would be like those old movies of a man with his hands full of molasses, trying to get rid of a glass of water. There will be several problems of this nature that we will have to be ready to design for."

- Feynman, R., 1960, Eng. Sci. 47, 22.

 

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Our research group focuses on understanding and controlling transport (electron, phonon, photon, and spin), energy conversion, and sensing at the atomic and molecular scale. Specifically, through developing state-of-the-art experimental approaches, we construct molecular-scale devices and explore how quantum transport and energy conversion (e.g., heat/light to electricity, and vice versa) are governed by molecular structures and influenced by different external stimuli, such as heat, light, electric/magnetic field, and electrochemical environment. We will leverage insights from our research to design robust and energy-efficient molecular quantum systems and propose new directions of applications, with the ultimate goal of addressing grand challenges in computing, energy harvesting, and sensing.