1. National Science Foundation Outcome: Unique vertical aligned nanocomposite thin films with multifunctionalities Impact: Highly strained and ordered nanostructured thin films for microelectronics and ferroelectronics, solid oxide fuel cells, and thin film solar cells. Explanation: Prof. Wang is supervising graduate students in conducing pulsed laser depositions of VAN films. The system consists of a vacuum chamber and a high energy laser. Materials World Network: Novel Interface and Strain Control in Epitaxial Nanocomposite Films Haiyan Wang, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, DMR 1007969 This NSF project explores the growth, structure and physical properties of vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) systems in epitaxial thin film form. The VAN thin films exhibit a highly ordered vertical columnar structure with high epitaxial quality. We demonstrate that the strains of the two phases in both out-of-plane and in-plane directions can be tuned by the deposition parameters during growth, e.g. deposition frequency and film composition of the nanocomposite. Using this unique VAN structure, ordered nanoporous structures have been processed. This study suggests a promising avenue in achieving tunable strain in functional oxide thin films by using VSCN structures. This project involves extensive collaboration between Texas A & M University (Dr. Wang) and the University of Cambridge (Dr. Driscoll).

2. National Science Foundation Materials World Network: Novel Interface and Strain Control in Epitaxial Nanocomposite Films Haiyan Wang, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, DMR 1007969 Cross-section TEM image shows ordered nanopores formed after annealing of the VAN sample. This suggests that VAN films provide a unique route for processing nanoporous film with well controlled pore density and size. Bi and Wang, Nanotechnology, 21, 285606, 2010. Bi and Wang, Journal of Applied Physics, 106, 094309, 2009. Tunable vertical strain control achieved in epitaxial (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 ) 0.5 :(ZnO) 0.5 nanocomposite suggests a unique strain tuning in magnetro-resistance materials. Chen and Wang et al., Advanced Functional Materials, 21, 2423-2429, 2011

3. National Science Foundation Materials World Network: Novel Interface and Strain Control in Epitaxial Nanocomposite Films Haiyan Wang, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, DMR 1007969 High school teachers from Texas high schools are selected to join the thin film lab activities in Dr. Wang’s research lab. Teachers are involved in summer research every summer for the project. Emily from Cambridge visited Wang’s group as part of the scholar exchange program. The thin film lab tour to high school students at the ECE Unplugged Summer Camp, summer 2011