Transformative Opportunities Addressed by EFRCs

A new horizon for materials design is the opportunity to precisely control the placement of atoms in order to form desirable hierarchical structures, which, in turn, deliver novel properties. Of particular promise is the ability to predict and control non-equilibrium structures which are prevalent in nature in synthetic systems.

Real materials contain heterogeneity, interfaces, and disorder, which proliferate at the mesoscale and often control the macroscopic behavior of materials. Advances in simulation, synthesis, and characterization hold the promise of moving beyond the familiar ideal homogeneous systems to master these structural complexities, turning "defects" into new design tools. Such advances can lead to a transformative impact in energy materials used for solar and nuclear power, hydraulic fracturing, power conversion, airframes, and batteries.

Coherence in quantum mechanical phenomena is a powerful force with direct far-reaching macroscopic implications. Recent advances have greatly enhanced our ability to observe and control coherence in both light and matter. Success in developing and exploiting these advances could revolutionize fields as diverse as information processing, sensor technology, and energy generation through the control of the outcome of chemical reactions or the instantaneous state of a material.

The convergence of recent rapid advances in theoretical, mathematical, computational, and experimental capabilities promises to transform our ability to find, predict, and control new materials and chemical processes; understand complex matter across a range of length and time scales; and steer experiments toward deep scientific insights.

The maxim "seeing is believing" captures the value of visual observation. Recent advances in imaging capabilities across multiple scales now allow us to directly see complex structures, chemistry, and dynamics that were previously invisible. Exploiting these new imaging tools in multimodal contexts, we can accelerate the discovery of new materials and functionalities, the understanding of combustion and other chemical processes, and the development of innovative approaches to materials synthesis.