NanoArt Competition
2022 Winners
Nanoboomerang Forest
Most Unique Capability
Artists: Shawn Wimer (Graduate
Student), Dr. Ufuk Kilic, and Dr. Matthew Hilfiker
Tool: FEI Helios NanoLab 660 and FEI Tecnai Osiris (S)TEM
![Nanoboomerang Forest.](pictures/Nanoboomerang_Forest.png)
Recently, there has been a paradigm shift in the engineering of optical materials from single material building blocks to the hybridized metamaterial platforms which can unlock new possibilities in the manipulation of chiral light-matter interactions at nano scale. This collage image shows our new metamaterial design: wafer-scale-area deposited, spatially coherent, super-lattice type, three-dimensional, distorted L-shape plasmonic hybrid metamaterial so-called plasmonic Nanoboomerang. Here, the scanning electron microscope image (SEM) from the tilted cross section of the sample was shown with the top view SEM image and the Scanning-Transmission-Electron-Microscopy image with atomic resolution energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy-based material mapping as insets.
Helical Metamaterial Platform
Most Stunning
by Shawn Wimer (Graduate Student), Dr.
Ufuk Kilic, and Dr. Matthew Hilfiker
Tool: FEI Tecnai Osiris (S)TEM
![Helical Metamaterial Platform](pictures/Helical_Metamaterial_Platform.png)
Here, the highly porous, super-lattice type, periodic arrangements of nano-plasmonic, right-handed Silicon (Si)-Silver(Ag) chiral heterostructure metamaterial platform were fabricated by means of subsequent and repeated electron-beam glancing angle deposition from Si and Ag sources. The figure collage shows the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) image which enabled a prominent ability to create contrast and distinguish Si and Ag sub-helical segments (left image), the high-angle-annular-dark-field STEM enabled to focus on isolated single helicaL heterostructure system (right top image) and the atomic resolution energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy-based material mapping enables to map the material along single Si-Ag helical heterostruture metamaterial (right bottom image).
Sandhill Crane
Most Whimsical
Artist: Shawn Wimer (PhD student) and
Ufuk Kilic (post doc)
Tool: FEI Tecnai Osiris (S)TEM
![Sandhill Crane](pictures/Sandhill_Crane.png)
This image is of a helical silicon nanostructure and a bit of extra broken material from another structure hanging from the carbon nanofilm of a TEM grid. The nanostructures are deposited as a dense film, usually 100-300 nm thick, and have optical applications related to the change in polarization of incident and transmitted light.
2021 Winners
Butterfly
Most Unique Capability
Artists: A.A. Kovalev and Bo Li
Tool: mumax3 micromagnetic simulator and Wolfram Mathematica
![The image represents Hofstadter’s butterfly describing magnons -- excitations in a small sample made of an antiferromagnet.](pictures/butterfly.png)
The image represents Hofstadter’s butterfly describing magnons -- excitations in a small sample made of an antiferromagnet. The horizontal axis corresponds to the strength of spin-orbit interaction gradient while the vertical axis corresponds to energy. Due to the presence of magnetic field the picture reveals fractal, self-similar pattern. Surprisingly, rather than revealing the typical Hofstadter’s butterfly corresponding to electrons, antiferromagnetic magnons reveal Hofstadter’s butterfly corresponding to Klein-Gordon equation typically used in high-energy physics.
A Micro Blooming Lotus
Most Stunning - NNCI Winner
by Aofei Mao and Peixun Fan
Tool: Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT and Hitachi S4700 field emission scanning electron
microscope
![When engineers become artists, a micro blooming lotus with a dimension smaller than the diameter of human hair was created via a microscale 3D printing technology: two-photon polymerization (Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT).](pictures/flower-2.png)
When engineers become artists, a micro blooming lotus with a dimension smaller than the diameter of human hair was created via a microscale 3D printing technology: two-photon polymerization (Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT). To make sure the over-hang features of this tiny lotus could survive, Ph.D. student Aofei Mao, Dr. Peixun Fan, and Prof. Yongfeng Lu from the Laser Assisted Nano-Engineering Lab invented their “gradient polymerization” technique by finely controlling the printing parameters. The sample was sputtering-coated for SEM imaging using a Hitachi S4700 field emission scanning electron microscope.
Rocky Marshland
Most Whimsical
Artist: Oghenetega Allen Obewhere
Tool: Anasys afm+ AFM
![A 3-D contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) phase image of thin-film ion-conducting polymer (Nafion) and Platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs).](pictures/Rocky_Marshland-1.png)
A 3-D contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) phase image of thin-film ion-conducting polymer (Nafion) and Platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs). Ion conducting polymers play a crucial role as binders on the electrode surface of electrochemical devices where they help to fix the catalysts to the electrode surface. An optimized ratio of catalyst/ionomer is needed for the efficient electrochemical reactions at the electrodes of these devices. This CR-AFM surface image elucidates the extent of nanoparticles dispersion within the ionomer film (Nafion, blue and Pt-NPs, green) at this loading and it has been recreated as a rocky coastal marshland in the dark.
2020 Winners
Most Stunning
NNCI Honorable Mention by: Kossi Loic M Avegnon ![]() "Optical Microscopy of 316 stainless steel additively manufactured" Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering |
Most Unique Capability by: Zahra Ahmadi ![]() "The Sunset" Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering |
Most Whimsical by: Seefat Farzin and Mohammad Mazharul Islam ![]() "Sakura on TEM Grid" Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering |
2019 Winners
by Loic Constantin
![The Copper Garden](outreach/2019/Loic.png)
"The Copper Garden"
by Ufuk Kilic and Mathew Hilfiker
![SiAg Chiral nanoplasmonic metasurfaces](outreach/2019/Ufuk.png)
"SiAg Chiral nanoplasmonic metasurfaces"
by Seefat Farzin and Mohammad Mazharul Islam
![Happiness Comes in Waves](outreach/2019/Farzin.png)
"Happiness Comes in Waves"
2016
1st place
H. F. Haghshenas & M. Khedmati
"Bee Family"
![First Place 2016](2016_First_Place.jpg)
2nd place
Lei Li, Xiwei Zheng, Xiao Cheng Zeng
"Water Sunbathing on Nano-beach"
![Second Place 2016](2016_Second_Place.jpg)
2014-15
![Pinaki Mukherjee and Dr. Enders](photo2crop_fix.jpg)
![Nano-Art Competition banner image](NanoArt2012awardsCUTOUT2.jpg)
![Pinaki Mukherjee and Dr. Enders](photo1crop_fix.jpg)