The Peter Gumbsch Lab

Peter Gumbsch’s lab is a mechanics-driven materials-science group that investigates how the structure and microstructure of materials govern their mechanical, tribological, and functional performance across scales. The group combines experimental characterization, multiscale modeling, and advanced simulations to study fracture, fatigue, deformation twinning, and wear in metals, alloys, composites, and metamaterials, as well as the physics of friction and boundary lubrication in technical and bio-inspired systems. Research topics include the design and analysis of high-performance alloys and cast components for aerospace and energy systems, gear-based and chiral mechanical metamaterials with tunable bandgaps and large elastic energy storage, friction-optimized and wear-resistant materials for demanding environments, and the role of microstructural defects and architecture in determining lifetime and reliability. A distinctive feature of the lab is the integration of digital tools—such as active learning, probabilistic models, and semantically accessible data spaces—into materials development and testing workflows. Students joining the group can expect hands-on experience in mechanical testing, microscopy, simulation methods, and data-driven materials design, and will be prepared for careers in materials R&D, structural engineering, and advanced manufacturing.