Nicholas Xuanlai Fang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Seminar Information
The scientific breakthroughs of data and interconnectivity driven manufacturing may lead to a paradigm shift of design and processing multifunctional elements at unprecedented precision and heterogeneity. These multifunctional elements can be exemplified by the emerging architectured metamaterials with integrated functions that are desirable for a broad array of applications in confined spaces, including impact absorption, thermal management and chemical processing, optical transparency, structural morphing, as well as real time monitoring and repair. An integrated knowledge base is crucial for setting up, steering and analyzing the functionality by combining different geometry and choices of the digital voxels with domain-specific design constraints, together with a library of such accurate designer voxels with predictive analytics that capture essential mechanical and physical properties based on the microstructure. In this talk, I will present our research progress on scalable three dimensional micro/nanofabrication techniques to enable design and exploration of digitally coded multifunctional and multimaterial lightweight metastructures at unprecedented dimensions. The microscale resolution and multi-material capabilities of the 3D printing system and the modeling tools developed can be used to design and fabricate architected materials for combined functions, including energy absorption, actuation/morphing, and micro-scale bioreactors for tissue engineering. I will also discuss the development of engineered, three dimensional physiological system using a combination of materials engineering and high resolution 3D microfabrication, which enable study of hepatic culture and neuron myelination for diseasemodeling.
Nicholas X. Fang received his BS and MS in physics from Nanjing University, and his PhD in mechanical engineering from University of California Los Angeles. He is currently Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to MIT, he worked as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign until 2010. Professor Fang’s areas of research look at nanophotonics and nanofabrication. His research on nanoarchitectured metamaterials was highlighted among the top 10 Emerging breakthrough technologies of the year 2015. His recognitions also include the OSA Fellow (2021); ASME Chao and Trigger Young Manufacturing Engineer Award (2013); the ICO prize from the International Commission of Optics (2011); the NSF CAREER Award (2009) and MIT Technology Review Magazine’s 35 Young Innovators Award (2008)