Addressing the nation’s urgent demand for high performance structural materials capable of operating under extreme service conditions, this research thrust focuses on enhancing the strength, toughness, and room temperature plasticity of advanced structural ceramics and thin film materials. With an emphasis on transition metal and light element compounds, the research covers the design, synthesis, and application of advanced structural ceramics, and systematically investigates their structural evolution, failure behavior, and deformation mechanisms under complex environments including high temperatures, heavy loads, and corrosive conditions. The goal is to develop structural ceramics and thin films that combine high hardness, high toughness, and high reliability. The research places strong emphasis on the integration of materials synthesis and theoretical design, and adopts a multidisciplinary approach that includes theoretical simulations, machine learning assisted design, thin film growth and interface engineering, and in situ characterization. This effort aims to advance the design strategies and processing technologies of next generation superhard and hard ceramic materials, ultimately enabling high performance, long service life, and multifunctionality in extreme environments.

Design, fabrication, and investigation of toughening mechanisms in high performance superhard and hard thin film materials and structural ceramics; ceramic sintering, thin film growth, and interface engineering; performance prediction under near service conditions using multiscale simulations and machine learning; and interdisciplinary applications of advanced structural ceramic and thin film technologies across fields such as biology, mechanical engineering, energy, and electronics.