Welcome to the Muller lab! Our applied physics electron microscopy research at Cornell University is focused on understanding the behavior of materials and devices at the atomic scale, with an emphasis on sustainable energy applications. Using the highest resolution electron microscopes in the world, placed in specially-designed and environmentally isolated rooms, we are able to explore the chemistry, electronic structure and bonding inside objects as diverse as transistors, fuel cells, and two-dimensional superconductors. All of these systems are made up of different materials, and where they join at the atomic scale, the boundary conditions on the quantum mechanical wavefunctions force very different behavior from what might be expected of the bulk materials. At these boundaries, where everyday intuition breaks down, we are searching for new and unexpected phases and physics. The impact of this research on devices, both large and small, could be significant.
If you enjoy both physics theory and experiment, can think in both real and reciprocal space, and care about both why things are and what they might be used for, then this is the research group for you!
