It’s National Nanotechnology Day! Celebrate by listening to our very own Dan Ratner, UW Professor of Bioengineering, on this week’s podcast from the National Nanotechnology Initiative as he talks about his passion for sharing the awesome power of nanotechnology with the next generation of scientists and engaged citizens.
In honor of National Nanotechnology Day on October 9th, the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) is hosting the Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom image contest. Referencing Richard Feynman’s 1959 lecture, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom,” this image contest celebrates the beauty of the micro and nanoscale.
We’ve launched a new quarterly newsletter! Learn about the latest advances in nano-engineering research at UW, new programs and events, as well as updates from the Washington Nanofabrication Facility.
A team led by NanoES faculty member Arka Majumdar, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and physics, has designed and tested a 3D-printed metamaterial that can manipulate light with nanoscale precision. As they report in a paper published October 4 in the journal Science Advances, their designed optical element focuses light to discrete points in a 3D helical pattern. Designing optical fields in three dimensions could enable creation of ultra-compact depth sensors for self-driving cars, as well as improved components for virtual- or augmented-reality headsets.
The UW Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is now accepting applications to its top-ranked graduate program. Students with undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, material science and engineering, nanoengineering, and applied mathematics are encouraged to apply before December 15.
NanoES faculty member Lih Lin, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, has been awarded an Optical Society Fellowship for 2020 due to the significant technical achievements and contributions she has made in the field of photonics. Dr. Lin has demonstrated pioneering efforts in several new research frontiers, including the research and development of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) optical switching technologies and innovation in solution-processed photonic components and devices.
Tuesday, September 24, 3:30 pm, NanoES 181
Sergei Kalinin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
We are excited to welcome Mohammad Malakooti to UW as an assistant professor in mechanical engineering and NanoES faculty member. The Mechanical Engineering department and NanoES partnered to help bring Malakooti to UW from Carnegie Mellon University where he was a research scientist studying stretchable electronics and flexible devices for wearable computing and human-computer interactions. At UW, Malakooti is developing new methodologies to synthesize and ultimately manufacture stable, mechanically robust, and functional nanomaterials that can be integrated into durable macrostructures in ways that harness their unique nanoscale properties.
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Maria Huffman is the new WNF director! Huffman joins WNF from Lund University in Sweden, where she headed the Lund Nano Lab, an open-access nanofabrication facility. Previously, Huffman spent over 30 years working in the semiconductor and solar industries in a variety of research and development as well as manufacturing roles.
Elizabeth Rasmussen, a mechanical engineering graduate student in the lab of NanoES faculty member Igor Novosselov, was recently profiled by the UW mechanical engineering department. Rasmussen is developing a clean, scalable approach to synthesizing advanced materials, setting the stage for innovation in batteries, targeted drug delivery and more. MOtiF Materials, a team led by Rasmussen and whose technology is based on Rasmussen’s graduate work, won the $15,000 grand prize at the 2019 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge back in April.