Materials Science and Engineering

MIT’s graduate program in engineering has again earned a No. 1 spot in U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings, a place it has held since 1990, when the magazine first ranked such programs.

MIT graduate engineering, business programs ranked highly by U.S. News for 2021

Graduate engineering program is No. 1 in the nation; MIT Sloan is No. 5.

March 17, 2020

An international research team used an advanced neural network machine-learning system to improve the accuracy of tests probing the plastic properties of materials — which can be important in a wide variety of industrial applications.

Deep learning for mechanical property evaluation

New technique allows for more precise measurements of deformation characteristics using nanoindentation tools.

March 16, 2020

The 2020 MacVicar Faculty Fellows are: (clockwise from top left) Polina Anikeeva, Jacob White, William Tisdale, and Mary Fuller.

2020 MacVicar Faculty Fellows named

Anikeeva, Fuller, Tisdale, and White receive MIT's highest honor in undergraduate teaching.

March 9, 2020

Members of the MIT engineering faculty receive many awards in recognition of their scholarship, service, and overall excellence.

School of Engineering fourth quarter 2019 awards

Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the last quarter.

March 6, 2020

An MIT team found a way to “recruit” normally disruptive quantum bits (qubits) in diamond to, instead, help carry out quantum operations. This approach could be used to help scale up quantum computing systems.

Novel method for easier scaling of quantum devices

System “recruits” defects that usually cause disruptions, using them to instead carry out quantum operations.

March 5, 2020

Afternoon light streams into MIT’s Lobby 7.

QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 12 subjects for 2020

Institute ranks second in five subject areas.

March 3, 2020

Hand lotion, yogurt, and toothpaste are some examples of colloidal gels, which MIT researchers have now characterized in detail by studying movies of their microstructure.

Probing microscopic wiggles in squishy materials

Technique could help improve design of soft materials to withstand jostling during transport or settling due to gravity.

March 3, 2020

Researchers found that strontium cobalt oxide (SCO) naturally occurs in an atomic configuration called brownmillerite (center), but when oxygen ions are added to it (right), it becomes more orderly and more heat conductive, and when hydrogen ions are added (left) it becomes less orderly and less heat conductive.

A material’s insulating properties can be tuned at will

Most materials have a fixed ability to conduct heat, but applying voltage to this thin film changes its thermal properties drastically.

February 24, 2020

Mirrored chip could enable handheld dark-field microscopes

Simple chip powered by quantum dots allows standard microscopes to visualize difficult-to-image biological organisms.

February 24, 2020

A center of excellence powered by MIT.nano, SENSE.nano received substantial interest in its 2019 call for proposals, making for stiff competition.

SENSE.nano awards seed grants in optoelectronics, interactive manufacturing

The mission of SENSE.nano is to foster the development and use of novel sensors, sensing systems, and sensing solutions.

February 13, 2020

MIT researchers have created a “sensorized” skin, made with kirigami-inspired sensors, that gives soft robots greater awareness of the motion and position of their bodies.

“Sensorized” skin helps soft robots find their bearings

Flexible sensors and an artificial intelligence model tell deformable robots how their bodies are positioned in a 3D environment.

February 12, 2020

Perovskites, a family of materials defined by a particular kind of molecular structure as illustrated here, have great potential for new kinds of solar cells. A new study from MIT shows how these materials could gain a foothold in the solar marketplace.

Researchers develop a roadmap for growth of new solar cells

Starting with higher-value niche markets and then expanding could help perovskite-based solar panels become competitive with silicon.

February 6, 2020

With a new technique, MIT researchers can peel and stack thin films of metal oxides — chemical compounds that can be designed to have unique magnetic and electronic properties. The films can be mixed and matched to create multi-functional, flexible electronic devices, such as solar-powered skins and electronic fabrics.

Engineers mix and match materials to make new stretchy electronics

Next-generation devices made with new “peel and stack” method may include electronic chips worn on the skin.

February 5, 2020

New research by engineers at MIT and elsewhere could lead to batteries that can pack more power per pound and last longer.

New electrode design may lead to more powerful batteries

An MIT team has devised a lithium metal anode that could improve the longevity and energy density of future batteries.

February 3, 2020

MIT researchers have discovered a method to predict and control the length of tunnels in solid germanium by laterally growing it over silicon oxide strips (shown in yellow) on top of silicon (green), depicted from left to right. Germanium, shown in purple, smoothly covers the silicon but forms voids and tunnels (lighter shade of purple) where germanium and silicon oxide meet. The voids and tunnels...

A new facet for germanium

MIT researchers grow perfectly shaped germanium tunnels on silicon oxide with controllable length.

January 31, 2020

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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