Year 5: Feb 2016 - Feb 2017

17th February - 20th April, 2016

• Setup experiment workspace
  • Installed shaker + universal platform
  • Cut out containers
  • Installed lighting system
  • Installed and calibrated video tracking system
• Conducted ~ 1100 trials for extended yield predictions paper
• Modified master equation based simulation in order to collect relevant data
• Plotted model vs. physical experiment data
• Plotted possible number of combination vs. observed combinations data
• Complete revision of the conformational switching design --- pendulum based
  • 3 iteration of the pendulum design
• Random shaker design and fabrication
• Preliminary experiments with high inertia particles
• Designed and fabricated jib for shaking with periodic kicks
• Preliminary work on theoretical study on homogeneous set of components
• Designed and fabricated container with no walls
  • Conducted preliminary tests
  • Test results not particularly promising
• Preliminary setup of dynamic self-assembly system

8th February - 16th February, 2016

• Presented my work to the "Programmable self-assembly subgroup" on the 11th of February. Metin attended that presentation. The group expressed interest in one of the results presented in "A geometrical approach to the incompatible substructure problem in parallel self-assembly". The wanted to know why the 90 deg component experiments resulted in a high yield. I told the group that we suspect that symmetry and the high probability of forming pairs could be the reason for the high yield. I added that we would be studying this phenomenon in detail using video tracking in our upcoming work on the extended yield prediction paper. The group also had some input for the issues I have with regard to the conformational switching work.
• Increased the shielding of conformational switching components. The increased shielding seems to reduce the local effects of magnets in the vicinity.
• Finished designing the jig that we will use to create "random kicks" during orbital shaking. I will be meeting the in-house production engineer this afternoon before getting it fabricated.
• The shaker has not yet arrived. The secretary here (Janina) says we would have to wait for a few more weeks.