Every engineering design can only be as good as the material it is made of.
This is the principle that guides the materials group in the nuclear engineering department at UC Berkeley. Our team carries out cutting-edge material science in order to develop fundamental understanding of materials in their engineering application. The main focus of our research group is on materials in extreme environments, especially nuclear. Therefore, understanding radiation damage and the associated effects on materials is an essential aspect of our work. In addition, the impact of low and high temperature, high mechanical stress, and liquid-metal environments receive significant attention. Through understanding the underlying principles of these materials, as well as developing new methods to investigate them, we are able to make progress on material development and predictability, leading to dramatic improvements in a variety of engineering applications.
