Strain tuning phonon topology in flexible organic crystals

A class of organic crystals have been recently discovered that are bendable. This opens an exciting opportunity to design new functional materials but requires a detailed understanding of how bending affects material properties. Of particular importance is to identify how bending affects the vibrational behaviour of the material, because these vibrations play a fundamental role in nearly all functional properties, including thermal and electronic conductivity. By studying how the uniaxial strain of bending affects material vibrations, using both simulation and experiment, this project will develop strategies to identify, predict, and design new flexible crystals suitable for next-generation technologies.