November 10, 2020 Kawasaki earns Air Force Young Investigator Research Program grant Written By: Jason Daley Departments: Materials Science & Engineering Categories: Awards Jason Kawasaki, the Harvey D. Spangler Assistant Professor in materials science and engineering, is the recipient of an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Research Program (AFOSR YIP) grant for 2020. His project, in the category of condensed matter physics, is titled, “Topological superconductivity and induced phase transitions in strained Heusler membranes and twisted bilayers.” The goal of the research is to develop techniques for tuning the properties of single-crystalline membranes of rare-earth Heusler compounds, which the team recently synthesized. The goal of the work is to establish a new platform for flexible quantum materials membranes which could be used in applications including sensing and quantum information. The program received 215 proposals in response to its funding opportunity announcement. Thirty-six of those projects were selected to receive the three-year, $450,000 YIP grants, including Kawasaki’s project. The AFOSR Young Investigator Program is designed to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, enhance early career development of young investigators and familiarize them with the Air Force’s mission and its science and engineering challenges.