Research Interests
My research interests are in two areas: quantum-continuum mechanics and cell mechanics.
In quantum-continuum mechanics, my interest is to develop a theory for modeling the effects of surface on the material properties of nanostructures, which can be metals, semi-conductors, and insulators. The theory will be a continuum approach in order to minimize the computation cost, while the theory will incorporate quantum mechanics in order to capture the electron structure and bonding in nano-materials with sufficient accuracy.
The theory has promising potentials to be applied to the following areas:
1. Physisorption and decomposition of gas molecules on metal surfaces. This is a crucial issue in the applications of fuel cells.
2. Effects of size and shape of nanostructures on the electronic properties of the materials.
3. The physical mechanism of wetting layer formation in heteroepitaxial growth of thin film on thick substrate, a critical topic in self-assembly of nanostructures.
4. The physical mechanism of surface stress. This will have significant impacts on the study of the mechanical properties of solid surfaces.
In cell mechanics, my interest is to develop a shell theory for describing the deformation of the cells surface structure and the effects of biomachineries on the deformation. The theory will be applied to study different biological processes involving morphological changes of cells, including the clathrin-mediated endocytosis, viral budding, and the formation of pseudopodium.
Selected Publications:
- W. S. Lai and C. H. Chiu, 2011. Surface energy density of metal nanostructures by Thomas-Fermi model. Applied Physics Letters 99, 031905.
- Huang, Z. and Chiu, C.-h. 2008. Size stability of nanostructures in Stranski-Krastanow systems under electric field. Phys. Rev. B 78, 125405(18).
- Huang, Z., Zhou, T., and Chiu, C.-h. 2007. Cooperative ridge-trench formation in heteroepitaxial systems. Phys. Rev. B76, 155426(1)−155426(12).
- Huang, Z., Zhou, T., and Chiu, C.-h. 2007. Size selection of the cooperative ridge-trench formation on heteroepitaxial systems. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 196102(1)−196102(4).