Graham L. W. Cross

I am an associate professor of physics at Trinity College in Dublin and a PI at Trinity’s AMBER/CRANN Nanotechnology Centre. My research concentrates on the mechanical behaviour of matter at the nanoscale. 

 

My group investigates nanoscale moulding science for nanoimprint of biomedical and other surfaces, self-assembly of two-dimensional materials for THz nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), and free-volume engineering in non-equilibrium materials including amorphous pharmaceuticals, organic electronics and ionic energy materials.  To support these activities, we have developed methods of hard material processing including implant ion masking for diamond injection moulds, embossing stamps, and flat punch indenters.  This technology has formed the basis for Adama Innovations, a company I spun out in 2014 and dedicated to the production of diamond NEMS.  My group is currently extending our techniques to realize advanced roll-to-roll (R2R) nanoimprint dies that enable high-throughput fabrication of tissue scaffolds with nanoscale to macroscale features via a novel combination of nanoimprint and lamination additive manufacture.

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I completed my doctorate at McGill University, Canada in experimental condensed matter physics.  My thesis was on fundamental mechanisms of crystal deformation plasticity at the atomic scale. Before I jointed Trinity College, I worked at IBM Research in Zurich as part of the Millipede team.  Millipede was a nano-electromechanical (NEMS) data storage system based on bits formed by nanoscale thermomechanical polymer indentation.  I characterized the read/write/erase operation window of the device.