Title Promoter Affiliations Abstract "MoCCHa-CT: Model-coupled 4D-uCT for advanced material characterisation" "Veerle Cnudde" "Department of Geology, Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Department of Telecommunications and information processing, Department of Physics and astronomy, Department of Environment" "High-resolution X-ray Computed tomography (X-ray uCT) is becoming a key imaging technique. It allows for highly detailed and full 3D structural characterization of objects and materials. As such, it is an invaluable tool in present-day material research, product development and quality assessment. However, the conversion of uCT data to analytical or finite element models that allow for the simulation of dynamic processes is currently limited by two major constraints: the limited spatial resolution that can be achieved, related to the sample size, and the limited capabilities of providing information about dynamic processes that occur inside objects. In this project, we will develop X-ray imaging tools that will improve the state-of-the-art capabilities for model extraction: - Grating-based X-ray dark-field imaging using a novel dual-phase grating setup will provide information about features below the resolution attainable with conventional attenuation-based imaging. - An intensive coupling between digital volume correlation and tomographic reconstruction of dynamic microCT (4D-microuCT) will increase the spatio-temporal resolution of 4D-microuCT, allowing to maximally exploit all available data We will use these tools to derive and verify structural and dynamic models for three different classes of materials: mineral building materials, composite materials and woodbased panels. Furthermore, these models will be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of the uCT reconstruction. With these new developments in extraction and experimental validation of material models, materials scientists within and beyond the three aforementioned material classes will be able to develop better and more sustainable materials." "Material characterisation and damage inspection of layered media using the Ultrasonic Polar Scan." "Koen Van Den Abeele" "Physics, Kulak Kortrijk Campus, Faculty of Science, Kulak Kortrijk Campus" "Non-destructive testing (NDT) refers to techniques that are used in the life-cycle of a structural component to investigate their quality, functionality and 'health' without destroying the object, nor affecting its properties. The development of NDT techniques is ever-evolving and needs continuous upgrading because of the emergence of new industrial materials, the increasing demand to more sensitive and more quantitative characterisation and quality control, and the need for earlier detection of defects. The implementation of an appropriate NDT system can save lives, time and costs. The Ultrasonic Polar Scan (UPS) is an advanced NDT method that analyses the reflected or transmitted ultrasonic signals for a wide range of azimuthal and polar angles. The recorded information (amplitude, phase, or time-of-flight) provides a fingerprint of the local material properties. The proposed project will extend the current status of UPS on three levels: 1) inverse determination of the true material properties (stiffness, attenuation, layering, orientation) for multilayered composites 2) design of a nonlinearity based UPS to inspect delaminations and microcracking, and 3) practical redesign of the laboratory set-up to obtain an efficient inspection tool. The goal is to quantify material parameters with an accuracy better than currently achievable, to identify damage with dimensions less than one millimetre, and to speed up the UPS recording to acceptable times." "Ellipsometer coupled electrochemical 'Quatrz crystal microbalance' for the characterisation of material surfaces." " Since multiple partners are involved in the application, it will be very important to streamline the multiple analyses to be performed using the ELLI-EQCM. Therefore, the lab manager from the coordinating laboratory (Ing. Veerle Boterberg who has a fixed position at UGent), will be responsible for planning the measurements. For each measurement to be performed, an Analysis Request form will need to be sent electronically to Ing. Veerle Boterberg who will keep track in this way also of the log book of the ELLI-EQCM. The Analysis Request form will contain the following items: (1) type of analysis (QCM, ellipsometer or combined), (2) 10 line description of the experiment, (3) number of samples, (4) indication if first-use training is required or not. Based on this input, the measurements will be scheduled in the planning. During the weekly staff meetings at PBM, the status of the ELLI-EQCM will be a fixed discussion item. If needed and after consultation of the ELLI-EQCM consortium members, corrective actions will be taken. For the first three years, an indicative usage plan is given in the table below. During year 1-3, the % use by ELLI-EQCM partners and other users indicated in § 1.5 will slowly decrease. This is logical since during the first year, the establishment of the new methods for measuring the various samples will be time consuming." "Novel methods and 4D-XCT tools for in situ characterisation of materials and their microstructural changes during functional testing." "Jan Sijbers" "Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Catholic University of Louvain, Vision lab" "Fibrous materials are found in biology (e.g. skin, muscle, tendon, ...), but also in industry in the form of composite materials in critical components of the aerospace, automotive and building applications. Not surprisingly, there is a great demand, both clinical and industrial, for an in-depth understanding of the microstructural response of these fibrous materials to external loading parameters defining their elasticity, strength and structural integrity. In this project, a novel experimental 4D characterization toolbox based on X-ray computed tomography (XCT) will be developed, including non-invasive contrast agents and dedicated in situ measurement devices, along with advanced 4D image reconstruction and analysis methods and computational models. Two representative case studies will demonstrate the general applicability of our approach: 3D printed fibre reinforced composites and biological tissues. The proposed 4D characterization approach will allow us to gain crucial insight into the microstructural changes that occur during dynamic functional testing of both types of fibrous materials. In turn, the improved knowledge of the dynamic material behaviour can pave the way towards optimized design and production of novel 3D printed composite materials and towards a more intelligent design of next-generation solutions for tissue restoration and regeneration. The project brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts from three Belgian universities, and will facilitate the translation of the developed 4D characterization toolbox, as well as the individual methodologies, towards industry, hospitals and research centers." "Closed-cycle cryostat for experiments in quantum optics and advanced materials characterisation" "Dries Van Thourhout" "Department of Information technology" "The Quantum Manifesto calls upon the European Commission to launch a €1 billion Flagship-scale Initiative in quantum technologies and prepares for a start in 2018 within the European H2020 framework. According to this Manifesto we are entering the second quantum revolution, which aims to enable breakthrough applications in quantum communication, simulation, sensing and computing. While several of our neighboring countries have massively invested in such technologies, there is virtually no quantum activity at the experimental level in Flanders. Nevertheless, Flanders has strong assets to participate in this field because a very important aspect of this revolution is integration. With imec, the worlds’ largest research institute working on electronic integration, and the UGent NB-photonics teams, Europe’s largest concentration of researchers working on photonic integration, this opens up a unique opportunity for Flanders to become a major player in quantum technologies. An essential element is the possibility to carry out experiments at cryogenic temperatures. With this proposal we therefore aim to acquire funding for a closed cycle cryostation with windows for optical access and piezoelectric alignment stages. This station will allow us to develop new fields in quantum optics (single photon sources from 2D-materials and solution processed materials, single photon detectors, etc.). Moreover, it will be useful for high-end material characterization of fosfors/solar cells/OLEDs." "Novel methods and 4D-XCT tools for in situ characterisation of materials and their microstructural changes during functional testing" "Martine Wevers" "Structural Composites and Alloys, Integrity and Nondestructive Testing (SCALINT)" "The overall goal of the project is the realization of an integrated 4D X-ray Computer Tomography (4DXCT) toolbox for the in situ mechanical testing and analysis of fibrous materials. Two representative sample studies of fibrous materials, whose mechanical behavior and damage development are still insufficiently understood, will demonstrate the general applicability of our approach: 3D printed composite materials (3DPCM) and biological tissues (more specifically skin tissue and the bone-tendon interphase). The toolbox will consist of (i) a generic in situ load cell, (ii) non-invasive contrast agents and (iii) advanced image processing, reconstruction and modeling tools. This new characterization approach will provide a greatly improved insight into the dynamic mechanical behavior when loading the two types of fibrous materials." "Fully Automated Frequency Agile Characterisation of Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials" "Wim Wenseleers" "Nanostructured and organic optical and electronic materials (NANOrOPT)" "Organic molecular materials can exhibit remarkably strong nonlinear optical (NLO) responses which are promising for photonic applications such as ultrafast electro-optic modulators and frequency converters. Most experimental work on their haracterisation and subsequent optimisation is generally limited to one or a few laser wavelengths. Yet, recent measurements on prototypical systems using our unique setup for precise and widely wavelength-tuneable incoherent second-harmonic light scattering (hyper-Rayleigh scattering, HRS) have revealed a far more complex NLO dispersion than generally assumed, implying that the almost universally applied extrapolations to the static limit (for comparison among different compounds or with theory) and to technologically relevant frequency components of the NLO response, are often off by an order of magnitude and more. Based on much more extensive wavelength dependent measurements practical yet accurate models for the NLO dispersion will be developed. To this end, we propose to lift these techniques to a new level and drastically improve the throughput of the setup, by upgrading the laser source to a fully automatically tuneable optical parametric amplifier (OPA), and integrating it with software for automatic calibration and data processing. This will allow for detailed and reliable laser-wavelength dependent NLO characterisation by hyper-Rayleigh as well as hyper-Raman scattering to be performed routinely for a wide range of systems, providing us with a solid basis for the rational design of optimised NLO materials." "Characterisation of hygric properties of building materials via dynamic methods and system identification." "Hans Janssen" "Building Physics and Sustainable Design" "Moisture transfer in building materials is a major determinant for the durability and sustainability of built structures, the achievement of a healthy indoor environment, the energy consumption, etc. To reliable quantify moisture transfer via numerical simulation, the moisture storage and moisture transport properties of building materials are required. Currently, these properties are, however, not defined for the full moisture range. In the mid-saturation range, knowledge on the hygric properties is lacking. In addition, ad- and desorption measurements are commonly merged. Furthermore, the current measurement techniques require weeks till months of experiments. In this project a complete, efficient and innovative measurement strategy based on dynamic experiments in combination with system identification will be developed. To this aim, the feasibility of replacing static by dynamic measurements, which demand a shorter experimental time and which are promising to provide information for the full moisture range and for ad- and desorption, is studied. In order to compile the dynamic experiments, a robust system identification algorithm will be developed. The hygric characterisation strategy will be validated based on real building materials. To end, experimental time and cost of the developed strategy will be optimised by selecting the minimum and most efficient experiments, which makes the strategy interesting for material developers, future research projects, etc." "Microscopy toolbox for structural and thermo-mechanical characterisation of new biomimetic materials" "Johan Hofkens" "Molecular Imaging and Photonics" "Organ failure and tissue lost are challenging health issues due to the lack of organs for transplantation and the limitations of conventional artificial implants. Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to generate biological substitutes. In tissue engineering applications, cells are grown in a three-dimensional platform which is known as a scaffold. In the last years a great effort has been made in the development of new synthetic biomimetic materials to be used as scaffolds in tissue engineering. Recent studies have shown that the structure and mechanical properties of the materials play a crucial role in regulating cell behaviour. The adjustable mechanical properties of synthetic materials provide more control over the induced cellular behaviours. However, there is lack of technologies that can investigate the role of mechanical and structural properties at the subcellular and molecular level. In this project I will develop new microscopic approaches to investigate both the structure and mechanics of hydrogels at the nano- and micrometer scale, and their influence in cellular behaviours. As a model, polyisocyanopeptide (PIC) gels will be used. This unique material resembles naturally occurring polymers, while maintaining tunable properties. However, the microscopic toolbox developed will be easily applied to other materials. The fundamental knowledge acquired will be crucial to develop the next generation of biomimetic materials for tissue engineering. " "Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) tool for the characterisation of extremely good moisture barrier materials for medical micro-electronic implants and other applications very sensitive to moisture" "Herbert De Smet" "Department of Electronics and information systems" "The miniaturization of electronics enables their use in medical implants, although no small implantable package technique exists yet. Such a package should form an extremely good diffusion barrier, since it must at the same time protect the body from toxic substances emanating from the electronics and the electronics from body fluids possibly causing corrosion or other damaging reactions. Currently, implanted electronics are packaged in a thick titanium box, which is safe but rigid and big compared to the electronics inside. Ultra-small electronic implants would have many important advantages, such as minimally invasive implantation, fitting in very small body crevices, less body reaction upon implantation, less risk of infections, etc. To miniaturize the packages, ultrathin but very high quality diffusion barriers are currently under development, consisting of multilayers of biocompatible polymers and ceramic barrier films. The diffusion barrier properties of such a stack are characterized by its water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). For medical implants, an extremely low WVTR is required, ~ 500 000 times smaller than that of standard food packages! Common WVTR measurement tools as found in many research labs cannot handle such extremely low values and are furthermore very slow. To speed up the development of extremely good diffusion barriers for implanted electronics we need a very fast and extremely sensitive WVTR measurement system."