To study soft and hard materials in functional assemblies, we use a combination of physical methods — advanced synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques, dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry, photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopies — and electrical methods — such as current-voltage measurements of devices, impedance spectroscopy, and thermopower. These techniques are complemented by computational methods to study the electronic structure in materials.

We are always seeking new methods to study the functional properties of materials. For example, we have worked to develop novel synchrotron based methods such as resonant soft x-ray scattering to study the micro/nanostructure of polymer films. These methods have been further enabled by the development of computational methods to predict x-ray absorption spectra.