Optional ZOOM LINK
Meeting ID: 920 4857 0988
Passcode: 362495

Materials that appear random or disordered often conceal hidden patterns that play a powerful role in determining their properties. One example is short-range order (SRO), subtle atomic-scale correlations that exist even within alloys thought to be completely random. While SRO has long been studied in metals, its significance in semiconductor alloys had remained virtually unknown.

In this seminar, I will highlight recent work that brings these hidden structures to light. Drawing inspiration from earlier studies of nucleation in ice and other complex systems where ordering often emerges within apparent disorder, we predicted that SRO should also exist in group-IV semiconductor alloys and strongly influence their electronic behavior. To probe this idea, we developed new modeling tools and partnered with advanced characterization techniques such as four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure. These efforts have now provided the first direct evidence that SRO exists in semiconductors and can dramatically alter their functional properties. The findings open the door to "SRO engineering": intentionally tuning local order to design new materials in ways that conventional approaches cannot achieve. This perspective has broad implications for energy-efficient electronics, neuromorphic architectures, and quantum technologies, illustrating how uncovering hidden order in complex systems can inspire entirely new directions in materials design.