Department of Applied Physical Sciences
The Department of Applied Physical Sciences combines applied science and engineering to solve real problems for North Carolina and the world through technology, innovation, and partnerships, and the preparation of knowledgeable and responsible students, citizens, and researchers. The department expands interdisciplinary research and teaching by strengthening an intellectual climate in which science is collaborative and focused on applications. The doctoral graduate program in materials science is housed in the department as well as undergraduate courses and a minor in applied sciences and engineering. APS is also home to BeAM (Be A Maker), the UNC network of makerspaces.
Professors
Theo J. Dingemans (APS), High-Performance Polymers and (Nano)composites
Greg Forest (Mathematics), Flow and Structure of Complex Polymeric Fluids
Jinsong Huang (APS), Perovskite Solar Cells, Photodetectors, X-ray Imaging, Radiation Detectors, Electronic Devices
Rene Lopez (Physics and Astronomy – APS), Optical Materials, Photonic Structures, Photovoltaics
Richard Superfine (APS), Biological Physics, Soft Matter, Biomedical Device Technologies
Associate Professors
Ronit Freeman (APS), Development of Novel Designer Materials Using Self-Assembling Biological Components
Daphne Klotsa (APS), Computational Soft and Active Matter
Zijie Yan (APS), Optical Trapping and Manipulation, Holography, Microfluidics, Electronic and Photonics Nanomaterials
Assistant Professors
Wubin Bai (APS), Bioelectronics, Soft Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, Microsystems, Electronic Materials, Photonic Materials, and Biomaterials
Ehssan Nazockdast (APS), Modeling/Simulation of Biophysical Phenomena
Nico Pegard (APS), Computational Optics, Imaging Systems, Optical Instrumentation and Digital Interfaces for Systems Biology and Neuroscience
Teaching Associate Professor
Richard Goldberg (APS), Assistive Technology, Rehabilitation Engineering, Engineering Education.
Professor of the Practice
Glenn Walters (APS), Instrumentation for Innovation, BeAM Design and Innovation Hub, Engineering Education
Affiliated Faculty
Michael Bakas, Program Manager Army Research Office, Synthesis and Processing
James Cahoon (Chemistry), Nanoparticle Synthesis and Characterization
Orlando Coronell (Environmental Sciences and Engineering), Wet Chemistry, Polymer Synthesis, Membrane Systems
Boyce Griffith (Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering), Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation
Yun Li (Genetics and Biostatistics), Statistical Methods and Computational Tools and Applications to Genetic Dissection of Complex Diseases
Jianping Lu (Physics), Nanotechnology, Carbon Nanotube X-rays, Tomosynthesis and Computed Tomography
Gerald Meyer (Chemistry), Inorganic Materials, Spectroscopy, and Electrochemistry
Cass T. Miller (Environmental Science and Engineering), Environmental Physics, Soft Matter, Continuum Mechanics, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science
J. Michael Ramsey (Chemistry), Analytical Chemistry, Microfabricated Chemical Instrumentation, Microfluidics, Nanofluidics
Jose Rodríguez-Romaguera (Neuroscience Center), Neuronal Circuits, Imaging, Optogenetics
Edward T. Samulski (Chemistry – APS), Liquid Crystals and Liquid Crystal Polymers
Alexander Tropsha (Eshelman School of Pharmacy), Computational Chemistry, Cheminformatics and Structural Bioinformatics
Scott Warren (Chemistry), 2D Materials, Energy Storage, Solar Energy, Nanoelectronics, Supramolecular and Solid-State Chemistry for Materials Design
Yue Wu (Physics and Astronomy), Water and Gas Configuration at a Nanometric Level
Wei You (Chemistry), Organic and Polymer Synthesis, Organic Solar Cells, Molecular Electronics, Organic Spintronics
Subjects in this department include:
For additional course information and to view sample syllabi, see the department website.
APPL–Applied Sciences
Undergraduate-level Courses
Special topics course. Content will vary each semester.
This course will explore fundamental engineering skills and the implications of engineering solutions. You will "learn how to learn" because technology changes rapidly and today's tools may soon be obsolete. The course will help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset to understand the larger context of solutions. A lot of class time is working time. For example, we will write computer programs to simulate real world systems. We will debate ethical issues associated with engineering innovations.
Students work in flexible, interdisciplinary teams to assess opportunities, brainstorm, and prototype solutions. Design thinking and physical prototyping skills are developed through fast-paced, iterative exercises in a variety of contexts and environments.
Design and fabrication for practical electronics circuits, including interfacing with sensors and actuators. Previously offered as APPL 411.
The basics of data acquisition and hardware interfacing using LabVIEW graphical programming. Previously offered as APPL 413.
This course is for anyone - student, researcher, hobbyist, etc. - who has an interest in getting into the world of electronics and micro-controllers. No prior experience is required. By the end of this class, you will be able to create and program simple systems that allow coordination of real-world inputs (lights, sound, motion, etc.). You will also be able to demonstrate how these systems can be used to implement complex behavior in custom-designed systems.
Learn how to use the premier microcontroller platform known as the Raspberry Pi (RPi)! This course is for anyone with an interest in programming, microcontrollers, and basic electronics. Prior experience with simple analog electronics (circuit-building) and the Arduino platform is recommended.
This course builds on APPL 112. Students will acquire signals from sensors and send them to an Arduino or other microcontroller. Students will also learn how to develop circuits that are part of the "Internet of Things" so that they can transmit sensor readings on the Internet. Most of the class time will be hands-on activities. Previously offered as APPL 414.
3D Printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), is used broadly from manufacturing to medical research. AM will play an increasingly large role in virtually all areas of research, industry, and commerce with new technologies and significant improvements occurring continually. The course will delve into major existing and developing technologies. We will explore design elements for AM, motion control and imaging technologies, materials performance and selection, and the physics of parts production. Previously offered as APPL 418.
Specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.
Review of fluid mechanics including the fundamentals of pressure/flow relationships, fluid properties, and flow regimes. Students will design and create physical prototypes that demonstrate specific concepts and measure defined parameters. Students will use the BeAM makerspace network to make things that illustrate fluid device design. Class time includes exercises to reinforce concepts and a guided design activity to create a physical device. Required preparation: BeAM orientation, laser training, 3D-printer training. Previously offered as APPL 475.
Learn how to analyze, design, and build systems. Model and understand how physical and environmental parameters of sensors work and interact with electrical circuits. Learn the basics of circuit design and analysis to amplify and "clean up" the signals with filters. Learn how to acquire these signals to a computer through data acquisition hardware and LabView software. Develop an entrepreneurial mindset to understand the economic, environmental, and ethical issues that affect your system design.
This course will be an introduction to topics in materials science and with a strong focus on materials, processing and engineering and how design plays a pivotal role in materials selection. A central theme will be in-class demonstrations and hands-on experiments so you will experience first-hand why materials do what they do and how to select the appropriate material for the right application. It's a materials world after all!
Immersive treatment of concepts and methods of fluid mechanics - the study of fluids at rest and in motion. This course provides a solid grounding in the fundamentals and applications of fluid mechanics through extensive hands-on exercises. Topics include pressure, pressurized flow, gravity flow, viscous flow, boundary layers, system losses, microfluidics, and measurement techniques. Includes exposure to standard fluid appurtenances such as pumps, blowers, gauges, valves, ducts, pipes, and fittings. Previously offered as APPL 280.
Specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.
A research experience provides students with practical experience in a research lab, performing work that is relevant to their UNC education. The research internship will develop and enhance the students' professional skill set and involve experiences that allow students to have responsibility for results that are of value to the research laboratory.
Through independent study, students gain practical experience in an independent project either on campus or off campus, performing work that is relevant to their studies in Applied Physical Sciences. The independent study will develop and enhance the students' professional skill set and involve experiences that enhance their entrepreneurial mindset. Students are mentored by a faculty member and others at UNC who have relevant expertise.
This course brings together mathematical, statistical, and computational methods for representing data and machine learning that are of particular interest for studying different systems across applied science and engineering. Topics will include dimensionality reduction, transforms, clustering, classification, and neural networks. Course activities will emphasize both the underlying mathematical framework and the ability to perform these data analyses in different computational environments. This class will require you to participate actively in class computations and discussion.
Flow and movement of matter, force, and energy are ubiquitous in every aspect of life on our biosphere, from our motile cells that transfer chemical energy to motion to the flow and mixing of air and water in the atmosphere and the oceans. By studying different examples, we will see throughout the course that the flow of mass, momentum, and energy can be analyzed in a single framework known as Transport Phenomena in science.
Permission of the instructor. Advanced specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level Courses
Special topics course. Content will vary each semester.
This course will explore fundamental engineering skills and the implications of engineering solutions. You will "learn how to learn" because technology changes rapidly and today's tools may soon be obsolete. The course will help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset to understand the larger context of solutions. A lot of class time is working time. For example, we will write computer programs to simulate real world systems. We will debate ethical issues associated with engineering innovations.
Students work in flexible, interdisciplinary teams to assess opportunities, brainstorm, and prototype solutions. Design thinking and physical prototyping skills are developed through fast-paced, iterative exercises in a variety of contexts and environments.
Design and fabrication for practical electronics circuits, including interfacing with sensors and actuators. Previously offered as APPL 411.
The basics of data acquisition and hardware interfacing using LabVIEW graphical programming. Previously offered as APPL 413.
This course is for anyone - student, researcher, hobbyist, etc. - who has an interest in getting into the world of electronics and micro-controllers. No prior experience is required. By the end of this class, you will be able to create and program simple systems that allow coordination of real-world inputs (lights, sound, motion, etc.). You will also be able to demonstrate how these systems can be used to implement complex behavior in custom-designed systems.
Learn how to use the premier microcontroller platform known as the Raspberry Pi (RPi)! This course is for anyone with an interest in programming, microcontrollers, and basic electronics. Prior experience with simple analog electronics (circuit-building) and the Arduino platform is recommended.
This course builds on APPL 112. Students will acquire signals from sensors and send them to an Arduino or other microcontroller. Students will also learn how to develop circuits that are part of the "Internet of Things" so that they can transmit sensor readings on the Internet. Most of the class time will be hands-on activities. Previously offered as APPL 414.
3D Printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), is used broadly from manufacturing to medical research. AM will play an increasingly large role in virtually all areas of research, industry, and commerce with new technologies and significant improvements occurring continually. The course will delve into major existing and developing technologies. We will explore design elements for AM, motion control and imaging technologies, materials performance and selection, and the physics of parts production. Previously offered as APPL 418.
Specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.
Review of fluid mechanics including the fundamentals of pressure/flow relationships, fluid properties, and flow regimes. Students will design and create physical prototypes that demonstrate specific concepts and measure defined parameters. Students will use the BeAM makerspace network to make things that illustrate fluid device design. Class time includes exercises to reinforce concepts and a guided design activity to create a physical device. Required preparation: BeAM orientation, laser training, 3D-printer training. Previously offered as APPL 475.
Learn how to analyze, design, and build systems. Model and understand how physical and environmental parameters of sensors work and interact with electrical circuits. Learn the basics of circuit design and analysis to amplify and "clean up" the signals with filters. Learn how to acquire these signals to a computer through data acquisition hardware and LabView software. Develop an entrepreneurial mindset to understand the economic, environmental, and ethical issues that affect your system design.
This course will be an introduction to topics in materials science and with a strong focus on materials, processing and engineering and how design plays a pivotal role in materials selection. A central theme will be in-class demonstrations and hands-on experiments so you will experience first-hand why materials do what they do and how to select the appropriate material for the right application. It's a materials world after all!
Immersive treatment of concepts and methods of fluid mechanics - the study of fluids at rest and in motion. This course provides a solid grounding in the fundamentals and applications of fluid mechanics through extensive hands-on exercises. Topics include pressure, pressurized flow, gravity flow, viscous flow, boundary layers, system losses, microfluidics, and measurement techniques. Includes exposure to standard fluid appurtenances such as pumps, blowers, gauges, valves, ducts, pipes, and fittings. Previously offered as APPL 280.
Specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.
A research experience provides students with practical experience in a research lab, performing work that is relevant to their UNC education. The research internship will develop and enhance the students' professional skill set and involve experiences that allow students to have responsibility for results that are of value to the research laboratory.
Through independent study, students gain practical experience in an independent project either on campus or off campus, performing work that is relevant to their studies in Applied Physical Sciences. The independent study will develop and enhance the students' professional skill set and involve experiences that enhance their entrepreneurial mindset. Students are mentored by a faculty member and others at UNC who have relevant expertise.
This course brings together mathematical, statistical, and computational methods for representing data and machine learning that are of particular interest for studying different systems across applied science and engineering. Topics will include dimensionality reduction, transforms, clustering, classification, and neural networks. Course activities will emphasize both the underlying mathematical framework and the ability to perform these data analyses in different computational environments. This class will require you to participate actively in class computations and discussion.
Flow and movement of matter, force, and energy are ubiquitous in every aspect of life on our biosphere, from our motile cells that transfer chemical energy to motion to the flow and mixing of air and water in the atmosphere and the oceans. By studying different examples, we will see throughout the course that the flow of mass, momentum, and energy can be analyzed in a single framework known as Transport Phenomena in science.
Permission of the instructor. Advanced specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates.
Students will participate in activities, group discussion, and problem-solving coaching to understand how chemistry, physics, materials science, and biology are applied to engineering. Topics are introduced through discussing relevant scientific literature, and guest lecturers and faculty discuss expertise in fields like mathematical modeling, mechanical engineering, or circuit design. Guest lecturers can provide new perspective on the problems so students gain an interdisciplinary view of the subject.
Students will work in groups on a semester project to turn their entrepreneurial ideas into reality.
Chemical structure and nomenclature of macromolecules, synthesis of polymers, characteristic polymer properties.
Synthesis and reactions of polymers; various polymerization techniques.
Polymerization and characterization of macromolecules in solution.
Polymer dynamics, networks and gels.
This is an introduction to methods of automatic computation of specific relevance to biomedical problems. Sampling theory, analog-to-digital conversion, and digital filtering will be explored in depth. Previously offered as APPL 460.
This course introduces the principles of nanophotonics - an emerging frontier at the nexus of nanotechnology and photonics that deals with light-matter interactions at the nanometer scale. The course will cover the theoretical foundations of nanoscale materials and optics, fabrication and characterization of optical nanostructures, plasmonics, nanomanipulation by optical tweezers, electrodynamic simulations, nanoscale light emitters, and applications of nanophotonics.
This course will cover both fundamental and applied aspects of modern materials science. We will discuss how to select materials based on their properties and how they can be processed into products that you encounter in everyday life. A strong focus will be on the relationship between processing, structure (development), and properties of solid materials, such as metals, ceramics, and polymers.
Developing electronic systems that can seamlessly integrate with biological systems represents a pivotal foundation for building a smart healthcare platform, advanced clinical technology, and beyond. Through multiple hands-on projects, this course will explore and discuss: 1) electronic materials, mechanisms, and designs at the biotic-abiotic interface, 2) their impacts for a wide range of applications ranging from medicine, robotics, to human augmentation, and 3) the associated ethics that aim to harmonize the development pathways.
What kind of material is Sponge Bob made of? What about the slime of his pet snail, Gary? We are taught that there are three states of matter: solid, gas, and liquid. However, in our daily lives we encounter materials that challenge this simple description such as foams, pastes, gels, soap, and rubber. These are Soft Materials and in this course we will learn about their special properties.
Crystal geometry, diffusion in solids, mechanical properties of solids, electrical conduction in solids, thermal properties of materials, phase equilibria.
Permission of the instructor. A survey of materials processing and characterization used in fabricating microelectronic devices. Crystal growth, thin film deposition and etching, and microlithography.
The structural and energetic nature of surface states and sites, experimental surface measurements, reactions on surfaces including bonding to surfaces and adsorption, interfaces.
Topics vary from semester to semester.
Structure determination and measurement of the optical, electrical, and magnetic properties of solids.
Continuation of PHYS 491L with emphasis on low- and high-temperature behavior, the physical and chemical behavior of lattice imperfections and amorphous materials, and the nature of radiation damage.
An ideal internship provides students with practical experience in an organization outside of UNC, doing work that is relevant to their UNC education. The internship should develop and enhance the students' professional skill sets and involve experiences that allow students to have responsibility for results that are of value to the organization.
Students undertake independent research with a faculty mentor. In order to register for this class, students must submit a learning contract and research proposal for approval. At the end of the semester, students submit a final report that describes their research. Students are encouraged to present their work either internally at UNC or externally at a conference or symposium.
Permission of the director of undergraduate studies is required. Independent study under a member of the applied physical sciences faculty. Approved learning contract required.
Various polymerization techniques and characterization methods. One four-hour laboratory each week.
Crystal symmetry, types of crystalline solids; electron and mechanical waves in crystals, electrical and magnetic properties of solids, semiconductors; low temperature phenomena; imperfections in nearly perfect crystals.
Advanced specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduates and graduates.
Advanced specialty topics in applied physical sciences for undergraduate and graduates.
In this course intended for graduate student researchers, we will parallel the discovery process taught in APPL 110: human-centered design, needs identification, and the iterative design and prototyping process. You will learn technical areas common to research laboratories -hardware selection, gas and liquid management, material compatibilities, electronics and data acquisition. In addition to the BeAM makerspace focused skills development activities, students will work on a personal project related to their laboratory work or research topic.
Permission of the instructor. A laboratory course covering fabrication technologies for building materials and structures in biomedical devices, electronics, MEMS, and nanomedicine. The course includes lectures on thin film deposition, etching, and photolithography and hands-on laboratories to apply knowledge and practice skills covered in the lectures.
Material Science (MTSC)
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level Courses
Crystallography, reciprocal lattices, Bloch waves, band structure, electronic wave functions, phonons, thermal expansion. Superlattice structures, including liquid crystals. Overview of properties of ceramic, amorphous, polymeric, and composite materials.
Department of Applied Physical Sciences
1129 Murray Hall, CB# 3050
(919) 843-5150