Prof. Ophelia K. C. Tsui
Department of Physics, Boston University
Scope of Research
My current research primarily concerns the effects of surfaces, interfaces, confinement and frustration on the dynamics and equilibrium of soft condensed matters, illustrated in polymer ultrathin films and liquid crystal systems. These queries have led me to investigate a wide spectrum of contemporary soft condensed matter physics problems including wetting and dewetting phenomena, adhesion, interfacial viscosity, dynamics of confined systems, surface dynamics, surface or frustration induced orientational ordering.
Through collaborations with colleagues around the world, I have also worked on related problems of atomic force microscopic (AFM) mechanics, AFM nanotribology, AFM nanolithography, order-disorder phase transition of evaporating solution cast block copolymer films, formation and structure of protein films, liquid crystal display, and electronic and magnetic properties of magnetic granular nano-composites.
The major experimental techniques used in my research include AFM, x-ray reflectivity and scattering, contact angle measurement, ellipsometry as well as optical microscopy. Some of the sample preparation involves clean-room and microfabrication technologies.
Research Highlights
- Dynamics of polymer thin films
- Dynamics of polymer nanocomposites
- Liquid crystal alignment on inhomogeneous patterned surfaces
- Dewetting of polymer thin films
Last revised on 24 December 2013.