Princeton Center for Complex Materials

Assistant professor (and PCCM iSuperSeed investigator) Sujit Datta shows high school students samples of novel materials his lab is investigating for uses such as environmental cleanup and drug delivery. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

High school students connect materials science to future careers with PUMA program

Each summer since 2002, PCCM brings high school students from underrepresented backgrounds to Princeton to attend the Princeton University Materials Academy (PUMA), a three-week program held from July 8-25, 2019. This year, 15 students
An electronic array on a microchip that simulates particle interactions in a hyperbolic plane, a geometric surface in which space curves away from itself at every point. (Image courtesy of the researchers.)

Strange warping geometry helps to push scientific boundaries

Princeton researchers led by Andrew Houck, IRG-3 co-leader, and lead author Alicia Kollár, PCCM postdoctoral fellow, built an electronic array on a microchip. Their research results appeared in Nature (July 2019).
Quantum engineer recognized by Department of Energy with Early Career Award

The US Department of Energy has named Jeff Thompson (senior investigator with PCCM's IRG-3) the recipient of a 2019 Early Career Award, with five years of significant funding from the department's Office of Science.
Experiments explore the mysteries of ‘magic’ angle superconductors

PCCM IRG-1 investigators, Ali Yazdani and B. Andrei Bernevig, report strong electron interactions play a key role in the superconductivity that has been discovered in twisted graphene. Nature (Aug. 2019)
(Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Rodney Priestley named Princeton vice dean for innovation

The newly created position provides academic leadership for innovation and entrepreneurship activities across campus. Priestley (CBE) is co-leader of PCCM's IRG-2.

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, the PCCM is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of complexity in materials science - bringing together over thirty faculty from six departments in the natural sciences and engineering. Funded by the NSF (DMR-1420541), the PCCM supports three Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) and several seed projects. The current IRGs are focused on research in topological phases of electrons and materials, surface and dynamics in confined polymers, and the development of ultra coherent quantum materials.

A parallel mission for PCCM is to share the excitement of materials research and engineering via its diverse education and STEM outreach (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs with the goal of educating a new generation of researchers. The PCCM programs are tailored for the general public, K-12 students, undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. Our active educational and outreach programs include a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program and teacher programs.

PCCM has fostered collaborative partnerships beyond academia to include small start-up companies, large corporations, and national laboratories. PCCM’s industrial collaborations have generated new intellectual property and innovative applications. These partnerships not only are an important part of our research initiatives, but also connect students and postdocs with industrial researchers and leaders, providing valuable professional development opportunities beyond academia.