Award Data

The problem of detecting hazardous trace species rapidly and sensitively is a difficult spectroscopic problem. Potentially, this problem might be solved with an elemental detection method such as LIBS combined with a molecular detection method. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) might be a candidate for the detection of small molecules, but for larger polyatomic molecules, the resulting fluorescence ...

The Phase I objective is to demonstrate dislocation reduction in both cadmium telluride (CdTe) and subsequent HgCdTe epitaxial layers grown on silicon substrate using an intermediate nanocrystalline CdTe buffer layer of optimized thickness and size. Nanocrystalline CdTe buffer layer will be deposited on silicon substrate by low cost processing method/s. The method consists of (a) Colloidal synthe ...

Advances in thermoelectric materials are needed to broaden the application areas for these materials. Specifically, the figure of merit (ZT) for thermoelectrics must be increased. Some recent demonstrations show that nanoscale structures are the key to obtaining high ZT (>2). However, these superlattice structures are created one layer at a time, in expensive processes. In the Phase I effort, Nan ...

Concrete designs of a novel actuator, which can deliver significantly augmented force and/or stroke relative to conventional actuators, and associated drive electronics and a control system, are focus of our technology development program. The plannedeffort leverages recent work done by Prof. C. S. Lynch of Georgia Tech on modeling and characterization of relaxor single crystals and development of ...

This effort will culminate in the demonstration of a new class of antennas, to allow the coupling of RF signals with nanoscale devices and sensors. An antenna for RF must be millimeters long, and nanoscale in diameter, if it is to interact with nanoscale devices. The aligned carbon nanotubes grown at NanoLab are synthesized in millimeter lengths, have good conductivity, and therefore should make ...

The amount of new malware encountered daily is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, an explosion that is also reflected in target and attack vector diversity. There has also been a dramatic increase in the use of malware kits, a problem in its own right because kits allow adversaries to easily create one-time-use malware variants for which generic signatures and general solutions are neither pra ...

FuelCell Energy, Inc., in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, is proposing to develop an innovative fuel processor for person-portable fuel cell power system applications. The system will be designed to reform butanol into a hydrogen-rich stream suitable for use in a low-temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The technical approach will focus on the development of a no ...

The program addresses algorithm development in critical areas that have received little or no attention in the past, including mixtures of chemical vapors, single and mixed chemical aerosols, mixtures of bio aerosols, and mixtures of chemical vapors. New approaches based on parallel extraction of material spectral dependence of the material in parallel with its path-integrated concentration and no ...

In the future, relatively junior leaders will face broader responsibilities. To predict and guide more rapid development of command leadership ability, it is necessary to know what personal attributes and experiences mold it. We will construct a novelbattery of accurate, objective direct-leadership assessments to predict performance in real world settings. The centerpiece is a command situation si ...

Surface Optics Corporation (SOC) teamed with the University of California, Irvine, proposes an exploratory study aimed at the development of an inexpensive portable optical tagging system with smart retro-reflective tag, encoding, and sensors needed fortracking and identification of U.S. military assets. The encoded tag can be either affixed to, or printed onto, military vehicles. Cost effective ...