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Nanosystems Integration
Systems of components that contain nano-scale materials
and devices can enable powerful protection and survivability
capabilities for the Soldier. This SRA is concerned with
research to create or exploit such nano-scale materials and
devices and to understand their behavior within
capability-enabling systems. One focus of SRA-5 is nanoelectromechanical
devices, e.g., high performance complementary field effect
transistors containing polymer nanowires and resistivity-based
chemical sensors. Another study concentrates on realizing
integrated systems level performance from metal-insulator-semiconductor
fibers originated at MIT. This work will address two
different systems length scales: the sub-micron scale to
fathom integration limits for a single fiber, e.g., what
type and number of functionalities can be combined in one
fiber; and the macro scale, ca 1 meter, to illuminate
what types of sophisticated functionalities can be obtained
by capitalizing on the fact that 102-106 fibers can be combined
in a fabric or other structure. Another SRA-5 theme will
seek the understanding needed to develop non-RF, fabric-enabled
communications, including a laser-to-uniform communications
system that works in free space. Important research questions
include behavior of the multi-material optical fibers that
will enable this system, response time, sensitivity and noise
management in the photodetectors, incorporation of the fibers
into a larger fabric, hardware and software needs to effectively
interface receivers to a data acquisition system, and the
fidelity of information transmission and recovery. Another
study will examine the use of nano-structured materials to
enable, for the first time, observable optical nonlinear
responses at very low power levels. Of interest are
light-light interactions that enable access to frequency
regimes that are difficult to reach with existing laser sources. Soldier
applications include remote sensing of the environment and
eye protection. As shown in the following list the research
in SRA 05 is divided up among four Themes each involving
one Research Project.
Theme 5.1: Nanoelectronics
Theme 5.2: Integrated Fiber and Fabric Systems
Theme 5.3: Non-RF Fabric-enabled Communicatons
Theme 5.4: Enabling Optical Nonlinear Capabilities for the Soldier
SRA 05 Researchers
Prof. Marc Baldo, Department
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Prof. Yoel Fink, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Prof. John D. Joannopoulos,
Department of Physics
Prof. Steven B. Leeb, Department
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Prof. Nicola Marzari,
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Prof. Rajeev Ram, Department
of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Prof. Marin Soljacic,
Department of Physics
Prof. Timothy Swager,
Department of Chemistry
Prof. Edwin L. (Ned) Thomas,
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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