Center for Regenerative Energy-Efficient Manufacturing of Thermoset Polymeric Materials (REMAT)

Director

Nancy Sottos

Lead Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Class

2022-2026

Mission

To advance the science of thermochemical reaction-diffusion processes in additive and morphogenic manufacturing and accelerate a transformative, circular strategy for thermoset polymeric and composite materials with programmed end-of-life.

Partner Institutions

UIUC
Harvard
MIT
SNL-NM
Stanford
Univ of Utah

Quick Facts

Single Slide Overview
Technical Summary
https://remat.illinois.edu/

BES Staff Contact

Aura Gimm; Katherine Brown

Grand Challenges Addressed

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Challenge #2

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Challenge #4

Grand
Challenge #5

Transformative Opportunities Addressed

Mastering Hierarchical Architectures and Beyond-Equilibrium Matter

Trans. Opp. #1

Understanding the Critical Roles of Heterogeneity, Interfaces, and Disorder

Trans. Opp. #2

Revolutionary Advances in Models, Mathematics, Algorithms, Data, and Computing

Trans. Opp. #4

BES Reports Addressed

Highlights

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A metallic line atop a medium biased at the edge of chaos can provide effective negative resistance for time-varying signals, outputting a larger signal compared to its input. The energy for amplification comes from the static bias applied to the medium.

The “Edge of Chaos” Amplifies Signals Without Transistors

Emulating the edge of chaos of axons enables a metal wire to overcome its resistance without cooling, thereby amplifying signals flowing inside of it.

Infrared laser light (red beam) illuminates the surface of ZrSiSe and mixes with electron oscillations enabled by an atomic force microscope (silver cone), propagating light as ray-like structures that guide the light through the interior (blue zig-zag).

What If Metals Could Conduct Light?

In the unusual world of quantum materials, metals can guide light in their interiors instead of merely reflecting it.