Seminar Schedule
Mechanics & Computation ME395 Seminar In Solid Mechanics Fall 2007Size-dependent Mechanics and Applications to Quantum Dots, Nanoscale Piezoelectricity and Defects
PRADEEP SHARMA
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Houston
Houston, TX
4:15 PM December 6, 2007 Room: EDUC128
Classical mechanics is intrinsically size-independent and as such does not distinguish between structures that are self-similarly scaled from miles to nanometers. In this presentation, we discuss the various physical causes that may render the elastic state size-dependent. In particular we discuss, in some detail, the role of surface energies, nonlocal interactions and quantum confinement. We also briefly touch upon the oft-debated question on the (ir)-relevancy of nonlocal elasticity for nanotechnologies. Several applications of the present work are illustrated: (1) scaling of strain-band structure coupling in quantum dots and comparison with insights from quantum mechanical calculations, (2) possibility of creating "apparently piezoelectric" nano-composites without piezoelectric constituents and (3) defect interactions in graphene and comparison with molecular dynamics.