MSD - Materials Sciences Division

MSD's Michael Crommie led a collaboration that achieved the first experimental observation of atomic collapse, a quantum mechanical phenomenon predicted nearly 70 years ago. Crommie and his colleagues fabricated artificial nuclei made from pairs of calcium ions using a scanning tunneling microscope then imaged the elusive phenomenon. Their findings hold important implications for the future of graphene-based electronic devices.

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Xiang Zhang led the creation of a metamaterial that was used to obtain the strongest signal yet of the photonic spin Hall effect, an optical phenomenon of quantum mechanics that could play a prominent role in the future of computing. Their success was based on the use of gold V-shaped nanoantennas to control the propagation and circular polarization of light.

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Just like electronics, living cells use electrons for energy and information transfer. Despite electrons being a common “language” of the living and electronic worlds, living cells cannot speak to our largely technological realm. Giving a cell the ability to communicate directly with an electrode would lead to enormous opportunities in the development of new energy conversion techniques, fuel production, biological reporters, or new forms of bioelectronic systems. Building off previous research, a group led by the Molecular Foundry’s Caroline Ajo-Franklin has now demonstrated that engineered E. coli strains can generate measurable current at an anode.

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Our goal is to provide excellent customer service to our scientific partners. To support that goal, we remind you that only authorized procurement personnel and division PCard holders can commit the laboratory to expenditures for goods and services.

If you have an urgent request that simply cannot wait (including after hours/weekends), please contact Rosemary Williams (495-2645, rmwilliams@lbl.gov) or Carmen Ross (486-5671, cbross@lbl.gov) before committing to a purchase.  We are working on establishing an after-hours contact number and will communicate it to the division once in place.

An individual who is not an authorized designee and who purchases goods or services may be responsible for payment of charges incurred.

Examples of Unauthorized Procurements:

• Any out of pocket expense incurred; after the fact, submitting a receipt for reimbursement, such as purchasing an item with a personal credit card and requesting to be reimbursed after the fact.
• Sending out equipment/parts for repair without FIRST submitting a purchase requisition to msdpurchasing@lbl.gov and receiving an active PO number for the work.  If the work takes place before a PO number can be assigned, payment to the vendor can be delayed or declined.

Remember to contact us before you make any commitment to a vendor.

Homemade Electrical Equipment: A recent incident in the Division highlighted the importance of carefully evaluating homemade, non-commercial laboratory electrical equipment that operates over 50 V. Fabricated or substantially modified commercial electrical equipment must be inspected and approved before it can be used in MSD labs at LBNL.

Please evaluate your lab space to identify such equipment and if necessary notify me so I can arrange for it to be inspected.

Thanks,
Rick Kelly