Nanomechanics

Nanotechnology is able to create many new materials and devices with novel properties for a vast range of applications. Nanomechanics is an important part of applied nanotechnology. This course focuses on the latest scientific developments and discoveries in the field of both computational and experimental nanomechanics, and the study of mechanical properties of materials and structures with size down to nano meter scale. At this level, mechanical properties are intimately related to chemistry, physics and quantum mechanics. The topics include the forces at macroscopic and atomic levels; elastic constants and crystal structures; deformation and fracture mechanisms at nano-scale; molecular dynamic simulation of nano-crystalline materials; principle of atomic force microscope, scanning tunneling microscope and focused ion beam; principle and theory of nanoindentation technology; size effect at nano-scale. The course consists of hands-on lab work of nanoindentation tests and molecular simulation projects.

This course aims to provide students with the introduction and background of how to analyze the force and deformation of materials at atomic and molecular level by both computational and experimental methodologies, and link to mechanical properties at micro- and macroscopic level.

General competence: The students will learn basic knowledge of experimental and computational nanomechanics, force interaction at different scales, methodology of molecular dynamic simulation, principle and theory of nanoindentation technology.

Digital competence: The students will master the molecular dynamic simulation code LAMMPS and visualization program OVITO by completing four compulsory assignments and be able to analyze the mechanical behavior of different materials at atomistic and molecular scale.

Sustainability competence: The students will attain fundamental skills of nanomechanics towards materials design with unique mechanical properties, life extension of infrastructures with improved mechanical performance, and coupled multiphysical phenomena in functional materials.

The course will include class lectures by lecturers, invited lectures by guest lecturers, lab visit, individual hands-on molecular dynamics simulation projects and obligatory exercises. The lectures are in English.