William Oates

FSU researchers find space between polymer chains affects energy conversion

A team led by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers has new insight into molecules that change their shape in response to light. The researchers studying azobenzene-based polymers found that their free volume — a measure of the space between polymer chains — was strongly linked with the polymers’ ability to convert visible light radiation into […]

FSU researchers enhance quantum machine learning algorithms

A Florida State University professor’s research could help quantum computing fulfill its promise as a powerful computational tool. William Oates, the Cummins Inc. Professor in Mechanical Engineering and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, and postdoctoral researcher Guanglei Xu found a way to automatically infer parameters used in […]

A social equation: Engineering researcher uses network science to understand how materials work

Network science is how mathematicians and software designers construct complicated social networks like Facebook. But a group of Florida State University researchers has found that these equations can tell engineers a lot about the composition of different materials. Using network science — part of a larger mathematical field called graph theory — FAMU-FSU Professor of […]