January 22, 2012

by Ben White

Dr. Saw-Wai Hla's audience may have been somewhat different than most of his lectures, but his point remained the same: the manipulation of atoms on the nanoscale has exciting implications for many areas of science.

Hla's talk, held at Baker Center before an eclectic group of students and faculty, is part of the College of Arts and Sciences' New Professor Lecture series, which showcases the work of faculty which have recently attained professorship.

“Achieving the rank of professor is a mark of significant accomplishment,” said Howard Dewald, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to the Post, OU's student newspaper. “It is indicative of excellent scholarship, effective classroom instruction, service contributions to the campus and the professional community.”

Hla stressed the interdisciplinary aspects of his research, focusing on the applications of his research in molecular superconductivity and nanomachines. His work with nanomachines has produced a molecular rotar which includes a ball bearing, rotator and stator which can be manipulated with an electric charge. Researchers can combine the rotars in synchronization to create larger machines.

Also included in Hla's presentation were images produced from his scanning tunnelling microscope of atoms manipulated into a smiley face and the initials “OU.”

Hla, who won the College of Arts and Sciences' “Outstanding Teacher” award in 2006, studied and worked in several European countries before arriving at OU in 2001. He recently began a joint appointment with the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago.

The quoted Post article can be found at http://thepost.ohiou.edu/content/ou-professor-smashes-atoms-molecules-together-lecture