Oak Ridge Lab Develops AI-Powered Tool for Material Discovery, Optimization

The researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a new tool that uses artificial intelligence to automate and accelerate the process of discovering and optimizing new materials.

The novel system, combining automated experimentation with AI and high-performance computing, autonomously synthesizes materials without human intervention, insideHPC reported.

Designed at the lab, the tool employs pulsed laser deposition to apply a thin layer of material onto a substrate and then uses AI to analyze the material’s quality based on the temperature, pressure and energy emissions during the process.

Based on the analyses, the AI subsequently proposes adjustments to the process and controls the PLD equipment to conduct the next experiment, eliminating the need for constant human oversight.

According to Sumner Harris, the study’s leader from the ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, the innovation allows researchers to work 10 times faster while requiring fewer samples due to the AI’s ability to analyze extensive parameter spaces.