Welcome to PCCM

The Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM) is a National Science Foundation supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Princeton University. Established in 1994, PCCM explores the frontiers of complexity in materials science - bringing together over thirty faculty members from six departments in the natural sciences and engineering.

The NSF awarded the Center $18M over six years (2020-2026) to accelerate exploration of quantum technologies and biology-inspired materials (NSF DMR-2011750). Details regarding the Center's new research directions. The IRG-A team "Topological Quantum Matter" focuses on uncovering novel electronic effects in a wide range of new quantum materials, from spin liquid systems, to novel 2-D systems and their twisted stacks, and various superconducting and non-symmorphic materials. The team searches for and synthesizes new topological materials guided by the application of machine learning techniques combined with topological quantum chemistry. The IRG-B team "Harnessing Disordered Macromolecular Structures for Living and Soft Matter" is uncovering new insights into how cells use macromolecules to function, while also using these insights toward the design of new responsive materials systems with highly tunable properties. Their research is helping to lay the foundation for a new field of "living" materials science at the interface of biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics.

A parallel mission for PCCM is to share the excitement of materials research and engineering via its educational and outreach programs that cultivate an inclusive and diverse highly skilled workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). PCCM's educational and outreach programs are designed for K-12 students and undergraduates, many of which attract and engage underrepresented minorities, women and persons with disabilities to discover materials science and share the excitement of their research with the broader community.

Beyond the Princeton campus, PCCM also has key collaborations with industry, national labs, and domestic and international institutions that enhance the ability for scientists to exchange information and build on their research findings, and create new opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and other early-career scientists and engineers.