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1. Fundamental deformation mechanisms (plasticity, fracture)
-  Size-dependent dislocation plasticity at small scale
-  Dislocation dynamics simulations in a confined volume
-  Dislocaiton interaction with grain boundaries/crack.
-  Multiscale defect dynamics modeling
-  Dislocation-based continuum damage model
-  Deformation and failure of metals under extreme environments
-  Material genome approach integrated with machine learning
2. Optimal desing in nanostructures
-  Enhanced Mechanical properties of nanolattices
-  Dislocation plasticity in porous micropillars
3. Reliability Analysis in Nanostructures
-  Failure mechanisms in thin (multilayered) metallic film in Microelectronics.
-  Ratcheting failure in Electronic chips
-  Microscopic model for fracture of Si anode in lithium ion batteries
-  Plastic deformation due to swelling of a Si anode in lithium ion batteries during battery cycles

1. Papers
- “Prediction of dislocation - grain boundary interactions in fcc aluminum bicrystals using a modified continuum criterion and machine learning methods”, Materialia (2023)
- “Dislocation interactions at the grain boundary in FCC bicrystals: An atomistically-informed dislocation dynamics study”, Acta Materialia (2022)
- “Effect of size and orientation on stability of dislocation networks upon torsion loading and unloading in FCC metallic micropillars”, Acta Materialia, (2021).
- “Intrinsic size dependent plasticity in BCC micro-pillars under uniaxial tension and pure torsion”, Extreme Mechanics Letter (2020)
- “Latent hardening/softening behavior in tension and torsion combined loadings of single crystal FCC micropillars”, Acta Materialia (2020).
- “Size-dependent fracture of Si nanowire battery anodes”, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 59, 1717-1730 (2011).

Our research focuses on computational and theoretical modeling of crystalline materials, mechanics of energy materials, and multi-physical modeling of materials science in multiple space and time scales. Computational Mechanics is a rapidly growing discipline in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Sciences that develops and uses computational methodologies to characterize, and simulate physical phenomena in nature and engineering systems. Our lab is using and also developing the state-of-the art computational model to understand and predict deformation mechanisms in various types of advanced engineering materials.
For this goal, we study the fundamental deformaiton mechanisms of nanostructral materials from microscopic defect motions, which allows us to understand macroscopic mechanical behaviors of materials, which also provide a unique opportunity to design optimal mechanical performances in nanostructural materials. Our core strategy involves manipulating defect microstrucutres at the atomic scale to leverage macroscopic properties in multiscale and multiphysical material modeling.