Graduate student’s materials science research recognized by national society

By Jamie Oberdick

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mingyu Yu, doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at Penn State, recently received the Graduate Student Research Award from the professional society AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing for innovative research in two-dimensional materials. 

Proximity effect: Method allows advanced materials to gain new property

an RF magnetron sputtering system, with red light around it

By Matthew Carroll

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ferroelectrics are special materials with polarized positive and negative charges — like a magnet has north and south poles — that can be reversed when external electricity is applied. The materials will remain in these reversed states until more power is applied, making them useful for data storage and wireless communication applications.

Old wisdom meets new tech: Traditional Chinese medicine inspires pulse sensors

Pulse sensor image

By Sarah Small

Continuously monitoring a person’s pulse can provide meaningful medical information, such as heart rate and, indirectly, blood pressure. However, pulse waves can vary dramatically from person to person and even within the same person at different times of day and during different activities. These variations make it difficult for current wearable pulse sensors to accurately record useful data, which is especially problematic for those with cardiovascular disease or high-risk factors for those diseases.