Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new X-ray tomography method called the perception fused iterative tomography reconstruction engine (PFITRE), a novel approach that combines the physics of X-rays with the power of artificial intelligence (AI).
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Rising power densities in AI data centers are forcing a shift to liquid cooling and service-based models, sparking debate over outsourcing versus addressing core infrastructure and maintenance.
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Researchers at several Chinese institutions, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have developed a 3D electrical imaging technique that enables direct observation of how charge moves through perovskite films.
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Researchers at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have developed a new method for making some of the smallest and smoothest curved optical mirrors used to control individual photons. The team, led by professors Marko Lončar, Mikhail Lukin and Kiyoul Yang, created high-performance mirrors that can trap light between them to form state-of-the-art optical resonators operating at near-infrared wavelengths—crucial for manipulating single atoms in quantum computing. The advance could benefit future quantum computers, quantum networks, integrated lasers and environmental sensing technologies.
Optical resonators, also known as optical cavities, are fundamental building blocks of countless light-based devices today, from precision instruments for timekeeping and spectroscopy, to lasers and optical interconnects in data centers. They are like guitar strings, but for light: Only certain wavelengths of light (as opposed to sounds) can fit inside the space between two mirrors and intensify. Increasingly, quantum applications require these same types of optical cavities, but much smaller and with lower signal loss.
The Harvard team’s new microfabrication method, led by first author and former graduate student Sophie Ding, was inspired by a practical problem facing colleagues in experimental physics who are trying to build quantum networks out of ultracold single atoms. They were in search of optical cavities with extremely smooth mirrors that would strongly couple atoms to photons, work at specific wavelengths, and could be scaled and shaped.
“We needed these high-quality photonic interfaces to create efficient ways to have single photons interact with single atoms, allowing for fast, high-fidelity quantum networking,” said paper co-author Brandon Grinkemeyer, a postdoctoral researcher in the Lukin lab.
But most lithography or etching methods today cannot produce sufficiently smooth mirror surfaces for the most demanding quantum applications.
Ding’s new method is an example of working smarter, not harder.
The researchers started with a silicon wafer and used thermal oxidation to grow a thin layer of silicon oxide on the surface, which works to flatten bumps and grooves. When removed, the oxide leaves behind a smooth silicon surface. On that surface, the researchers deposited a precisely engineered stack of transparent oxide layers, called a dielectric mirror coating. When a hole is etched through the back and the coating is freed from the silicon wafer, it buckles into a perfectly curved shape because of built-in mechanical stress, that naturally forms a high-quality mirror.
This process allows the researchers to control the radius of the mirror’s curvature and the wavelengths of light the mirror will reflect, making the method highly scalable and relatively simple.
“In microfabrication, we are sometimes confined by the thought that surface roughness is defined by the etch or the mask, and we try very hard to optimize them,” Ding said. “But when we are using the properties of the materials, we can do a lot less of that and have more robust results.”
The researchers showed their microfabricated resonators could reach a record “finesse” of 0.9 million at a wavelength of 780 nanometers, meaning light can bounce back and forth inside the cavity nearly a million times before scattering. By contrast, optical telecommunications signals transmit at 1550 nanometer wavelengths.
The optical cavities created with Ding’s new method could be used in modular quantum computing applications, in which many atoms are linked together by photons in optical fibers. The cavities would be the critical interfaces that let an atom’s quantum state be converted into light, transmitted, and written back into another atom.
The potential impact of the work extends beyond quantum computing. Due to its versatility and scalability, it could be adapted for other wavelengths that serve ultra-compact lasers, spectroscopic sensors, and integrated photonics in which many optical resonators can be built directly onto chips.
For more information: Optica
Image: Microcavities of two different lengths, 45 microns and 1 millimeter, placed on a finger tip.
Researchers have developed a new sub-second volumetric 3D printing technique that eliminates the need to rotate the printed sample, a long-standing mechanical challenge in the field. The system, called Digital Incoherent Synthesis of Holographic Light Fields, or DISH, instead rotates the illumination using a high-speed periscope, allowing millimeter-scale structures to be printed in 0.6 seconds with about 19-micrometer resolution across a 1-centimeter depth range. The advance addresses a persistent trade-off in volumetric additive manufacturing between resolution, stability and printable volume.
Volumetric 3D printing has long hoped to fabricate entire objects simultaneously – rather than layer by layer. But established approaches, such as computed axial lithography, typically rotate the resin container during exposure.
Fast rotation introduces vibration and alignment errors. Slow rotation, meanwhile, requires highly viscous resins, often thousands of centipoise, to prevent features from drifting before polymerization completes.
When it comes to optics, higher resolution demands higher numerical aperture (NA) objectives. Yet higher NA optics come with a shallow depth of field.
The system used in the study has an intrinsic NA of 0.055 at 405 nm, with a native depth-of-field of roughly 0.4 mm. That’s far smaller than the centimetre-scale volumes desirable for practical manufacturing.
DISH tackles both precision and scale at once.
In their method, instead of moving the resin container the researchers mounted a rotating periscope on a hollow stage to deliver synchronized angular illumination while keeping the sample stationary.
A 405 nm coherent laser is modulated by a Digital Micromirror Device operating at 17 kHz, projecting optimized binary patterns as the periscope rotates at speeds up to 10 revolutions per second.
The demonstrated sub-second fabrication corresponds to the specific exposure timing used in the reported experiments.
The team abandoned conventional ray-based approximations and implemented a wave-optics model that explicitly incorporates diffraction and refraction at the air–material interface.
A coarse-to-fine iterative optimization algorithm generates projection patterns that maintain intensity modulation well beyond the native focal plane.
An adaptive calibration scheme using two orthogonal cameras corrects single-pixel misalignments in the synthesized 3D light field, improving angular registration and exposure fidelity.
Performance tests show that DISH maintains approximately 19 μm feature fidelity across a 1 cm depth range, far exceeding the objective’s intrinsic 0.4 mm depth of field.
Relief-structure experiments demonstrated approximately 11 μm uniform linewidth across the full centimeter span, while the smallest independently resolved positive feature measured 12 μm.
Comparative tests against conventional back-projection approaches showed sharper edges and improved consistency, particularly in off-center regions where optical blur typically increases.
The single-sided illumination geometry does introduce a missing-cone trade-off that slightly affects axial resolution. The authors note that alternative periscope geometries could mitigate this limitation in future implementations.
One of the more practically significant findings is material compatibility. The system printed successfully in aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol diacrylate with viscosities as low as 4.7 cP. Because polymerization completes within 0.6 seconds, gravitational drift occurs only after solidification.
By contrast, conventional volumetric systems often require viscosities between 6,000 and 10,000 cP to maintain positional stability during slower exposures.
The researchers also demonstrated printing in higher-viscosity resins and bio-derived hydrogels, including gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and silk fibroin methacrylate (SilMA).
The single-sided geometry further enables in situ fabrication on fixed substrates and within confined environments such as petri dishes.
Integration with a fluidic channel allowed successive fabrication of multiple structures, pointing toward continuous production workflows.
The authors estimate voxel rates on the order of 1.25 × 108/second, calculated for a defined voxel size and build volume. They suggest that higher-power lasers and faster modulation hardware could further increase build rates.
Surface analysis indicates that inclined projection reduces the prominence of stripe-like speckle artefacts compared with perpendicular illumination systems.
However, the hologram optimization process currently requires substantial offline computation. The authors propose GPU acceleration or neural-network-based approaches as pathways to reduce processing time and enable more automated deployment.
By decoupling angular illumination from sample motion and synthesizing holographic light fields through wave-optics modeling, DISH demonstrates a way to extend effective depth performance without sacrificing resolution.
While industrial deployment remains prospective, the work outlines a credible pathway toward faster, continuous volumetric manufacturing using both acrylate-based systems and selected biomaterials.
Future efforts are likely to focus on accelerating hologram computation, refining optical geometries to address missing-cone effects, and scaling projection hardware.
For more information: Nature
A simple bouncy ball has become a key teaching tool for Penn State graduate students working to show children how materials behave and how science connects to daily life. Through “Mission: Materials Science,” an outreach program supported by Penn State’s NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, students collaborate with museum educators and media professionals to turn materials research into free, hands-on learning activities. The newest online collection introduces four experiments designed for children ages 8 to 13.
MRSEC and the Franklin Institute have partnered on projects since 2001. The project began as a collaboration with the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, where MRSEC researchers helped create tabletop exhibits for museum visitors. Over time, it evolved into a digital platform of do-it-yourself activities that can be completed at home or used in classrooms with commonly available supplies. Today, the initiative is led in close partnership with Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania.
The four new activities explore how materials store and exchange energy, how their structure affects behavior and how environmental conditions can change material properties. Experiments such as mixing bouncy ball recipes, building candy crystals and modeling how ocean chemistry affects coral-like materials were designed to encourage young learners to test ideas, observe results and connect science to the real world.
Each activity includes step-by-step instructions and short videos that guide learners through the experiment and explain the science behind it. Penn State’s public media partner, WPSU, produced the videos in collaboration with Discovery Space and MRSEC researchers, educators and students to ensure the content is accurate, engaging and accessible. Since each activity is mapped to the K-12 science standards with which it aligns, teachers can easily use the content in classrooms, too.
Some videos feature high school students demonstrating the activities, while others — which are titled “Scientist in Action” — highlight Penn State researchers explaining how the experiments connect to real materials science research. Together, the videos help bridge the gap between academic research and everyday experience, according to Vincent Crespi, distinguished professor of physics, of materials science and engineering, and of chemistry, who serves as the primary investigator on the Penn State MRSEC grant. Crespi also directs the Center for Nanoscale Science (CNS), which administers the NSF grant at Penn State, including the “Mission: Materials Science” project at Penn State.
Crespi explained that graduate students are central to the project’s success, and the initiative plays an important role in graduate education.
“Current graduate students are our future scientific leaders,” Crespi said. “For them to be successful, it is vital that they become skilled at connecting authentically with many types of audiences and learn how to work well across disciplines. This outreach project has been rich with opportunities to build those transferable skills and experiences.”
Graduate students in chemistry and in materials science and engineering and the CNS’s K-12 Outreach Team worked closely with other outreach staff and educators at Discovery Space and the Franklin Institute. They test activities with local children and refine them to be both scientifically rigorous and approachable.
For Michele Crowl, executive director of Discovery Space and its affiliated adult makerspace called the Rivet, the collaboration helps make advanced research accessible.
“The most meaningful part has been helping translate real, current materials science research into hands-on experiences that feel fun and approachable for kids and families,” Crowl said. “With MRSEC’s help, we can reach more kids in our area for STEM learning and show them that science doesn’t have to feel abstract or intimidating.”
For many graduate students, the experience reshaped how they see their role as scientists. Gayathri Ayyagari, a graduate research assistant in materials science and engineering, said working across disciplines changed how she communicates.
“Working with educators, scientists and media professionals created a truly interdisciplinary environment,” Ayyagari said. “It pushed me to listen carefully to different perspectives and find common language across those worlds.”
Katherine Thompson, a postdoctoral researcher in nanomaterials who was involved in the project when she was a graduate research assistant in chemistry, viewed the project as a way to give back.
“As a kid, I participated in science outreach activities that motivated me to pursue a career in STEM,” Thompson said. “Creating something that could inspire future scientists in the same way has been incredibly meaningful.”
For more information: Mission Materials Science
Image: Lilly Clarke, left, a Franklin Institute STEM Scholar, and Trent Rodgers, also a Franklin Institute STEM Scholar, guide viewers through an experiment to make homemade bouncy balls as part of the Mission: Materials Science project, a joint effort between the Center for Nanoscale Science in partnership with The Franklin Institute, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation via the interdisciplinary Materials Research Science and Engineering Center program.
Scientists in Sweden have developed a simple method to make the universe’s normally invisible binding forces visible by using gold flakes, salt water and light. The Chalmers University of Technology team created a platform that displays these tiny forces—often described as “nature’s invisible glue,” responsible for effects like dust sticking to surfaces or lizards climbing walls—as shifting colors. The technique offers a faster, more accessible way to study how matter organizes itself at the smallest scales.
Inside the lab, doctoral student Michaela Hošková holds up a small glass container filled with millions of micrometer-sized gold flakes suspended in a salt solution. Using a pipette, she places a droplet of the mixture onto a gold-coated glass plate positioned under an optical microscope. The flakes are immediately drawn toward the surface but stop just short of fully attaching, leaving nanometer-sized gaps between the flakes and the gold substrate.
These tiny liquid-filled gaps act like miniature light chambers. Light reflects back and forth inside them, producing visible colors. When the setup is illuminated with a halogen lamp and the reflected light is analyzed with a spectrometer, the different wavelengths become clear. On the connected monitor, flakes shimmer and shift in colors such as red and green against a golden yellow background.
“What we are seeing is how fundamental forces in nature interact with each other. Through these tiny cavities, we can now measure and study the forces we call ‘nature’s glue’ – what binds objects together at the smallest scales. We don’t need to intervene in what is happening, we just observe the natural movements of the flakes,” says Michaela Hošková, a doctoral student at the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology.
By examining the light captured in the cavities, the team can analyze the balance between two competing forces – one that pulls the flakes together and one that keeps them apart. The attractive force, known as the Casimir effect, causes the gold flakes to move toward each other and toward the surface. The opposing electrostatic force develops in the salt solution and prevents the flakes from fully sticking. When these forces reach equilibrium, a process called self-assembly occurs, forming the cavities that make the measurements possible.
“Forces at the nanoscale affect how different materials or structures are assembled, but we still do not fully understand all the principles that govern this complex self-assembly. If we fully understood them, we could learn to control self-assembly at the nanoscale. At the same time, we can gain insights into how the same principles govern nature on much larger scales, even how galaxies form,” says Michaela Hošková.
The new platform builds on several years of research in Professor Timur Shegai’s group at the Department of Physics. Four years ago, the team showed that a pair of gold flakes could form a self assembled resonator. They have now expanded that discovery into a broader method for investigating fundamental forces.
In this system, the gold flakes function as tiny floating sensors. According to the researchers, the approach could be valuable across physics, chemistry, and materials science.
“The method allows us to study the charge of individual particles and the forces acting between them. Other methods for studying these forces often require sophisticated instruments which cannot provide information down to the particle level,” says research leader Timur Shegai.
The platform may also help scientists better understand how particles behave in liquids, including whether they remain stable or tend to clump together. That knowledge could improve how medicines move through the body, support the design of more effective biosensors, and contribute to better water filtration systems. It is also relevant for everyday products such as cosmetics, where preventing unwanted clumping is essential.
“The fact that the platform allows us to study fundamental forces and material properties shows its potential as a truly promising research platform,” says Timur Shegai.
In the laboratory, Hošková opens a small box containing a finished version of the device. Using tweezers, she places it into the microscope. Two thin glass plates enclose everything needed to examine nature’s invisible glue.
“What I find most exciting is that the measurement itself is so beautiful and easy. The method is simple and fast, based only on the movement of gold flakes and the interaction between light and matter,” says Michaela Hošková, zooming in on a gold flake whose colors immediately reveal the forces at work.
Gold flakes about 10 micrometers in size are placed in a salt solution, meaning water that contains free ions. When a droplet is added to a gold-coated glass surface, the flakes are drawn toward it, and nanometer-sized cavities (100-200 nanometers) form. This self assembly results from the balance between two forces: the Casimir force, a measurable quantum effect that pulls objects together, and the electrostatic force that arises between charged surfaces in a salt solution.
A halogen lamp shines light into the cavities, where it becomes trapped and reflected. An optical microscope and spectrometer then separate the light into its component wavelengths so the colors can be identified. By adjusting the salt concentration and observing how the flakes shift relative to the surface, researchers can measure the underlying forces. To prevent evaporation, the droplet containing the gold flakes is sealed and covered with a second glass plate.
The platform was developed at Chalmers’ Nanofabrication Laboratory, Myfab Chalmers, and at the Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory (CMAL).
For more information: PNAS
Image: Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered a quick and easy way to study the hidden forces that bind the smallest objects in the universe together. Using gold, salt water, and light, they have created a platform on which the forces can be seen through colors. Two thin glass plates hold everything needed to study nature’s invisible glue. Credit: Chalmers University of Technology | Mia Halleröd Palmgren
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa., are automating 3D printing with a new large language model that fixes printer errors in real time without the need for any pre-training.
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Members of the 2026 Nominating Committee have been selected and ASM Past President Dr. William E. Frazier, FASM, president, Pilgrim Consulting LLC, was elected to serve as chair by the ASM Board of Trustees.
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Researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, U.K., have shown that consumer-grade 3D printers and low-cost materials can be used to produce multi-element optical components that enable super-resolution imaging, with each lens costing less than $1 to produce. The new fabrication approach could broaden access to fully customizable optical parts and enable completely new types of imaging tools.
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A research team at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory to test thin yet durable materials for hypersonic flight using an upgraded source of ultrabright x-rays.
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Surging global electricity demand driven by data centers, artificial intelligence and expanding manufacturing is straining power systems worldwide, highlighting the need for more efficient energy use rather than simply more generation. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have developed a new silicon carbide–based power module that significantly improves how electricity is converted and delivered. The module, which houses power electronics that control electrical flow, achieves record efficiency and higher power density while using a manufacturing approach designed to keep costs low, offering a promising path to meeting rising energy demands more effectively.
The technology is known as NREL’s Ultra-Low Inductance Smart power module, or ULIS. By using silicon carbide semiconductors, ULIS can achieve five times the energy density of earlier designs while taking up less space. That combination allows manufacturers to build equipment that is smaller, lighter, and more energy efficient. The 1200-volt, 400-amp module is well suited for data centers, electrical grids, microreactors, and heavy-duty platforms such as next-generation aircraft and military vehicles.
Why Ultra-Low Inductance Matters
A key advantage of ULIS is its exceptionally low parasitic inductance, which refers to resistance that slows changes in electrical current and limits efficient power conversion. ULIS reduces this resistance by seven to nine times compared with today’s most advanced silicon carbide power modules.
Because the system can switch electrical current extremely quickly and efficiently, it converts more of the available electricity into usable power. That capability allows ULIS to extract significantly more value from the same energy supply, making it a strong candidate for addressing growing global energy needs.
“We consider ULIS to be a true breakthrough,” said Faisal Khan, NREL’s chief power electronics researcher and the principal investigator for the project. “It’s a future-proofed, ultrafast power module that will make the next generation of power converters more affordable, efficient, and compact.”
Built for Reliability in Extreme Conditions
ULIS is designed not only for efficiency, but also for reliability in demanding environments. According to Khan, the lightweight yet powerful module can monitor its own condition and anticipate component failures before they happen.
This feature is especially critical for high-risk applications such as aviation and military operations. For aircraft operating at 30,000 feet or vehicles navigating combat zones, early failure detection can be the difference between mission success and catastrophic loss.
“ULIS was a truly organic effort, built entirely in-house here at NREL,” Khan said. “We are very excited to demonstrate its strengths in real-world settings.”
A Radical Redesign for Lower Cost Manufacturing
Many of ULIS’ performance gains come from a completely new physical design.
Traditional power modules stack semiconductor devices inside box-like packages. ULIS instead arranges its circuitry in a flat, octagonal layout. This disk-shaped structure fits more components into a smaller footprint, reducing both size and weight. At the same time, its innovative current routing minimizes magnetic interference, which helps deliver cleaner electrical output and higher overall efficiency.
“Our biggest concern was that the device switches off and on very quickly, and we needed a layout that wouldn’t create a chokepoint within the design,” said Shuofeng Zhao, an NREL power electronics researcher who designed ULIS’ flux cancellation architecture.
Early concepts explored complex three-dimensional shapes, including designs resembling flowers or hollow cylinders. However, these ideas proved too expensive or difficult to manufacture. The breakthrough came when the team simplified the concept into a nearly two-dimensional structure. Sarwar Islam, another NREL power electronics researcher, proposed the flattened design that balanced performance, cost, and manufacturability.
“We squished it flat, like a pancake,” Zhao said, “and suddenly we had a low-cost, high-performing design that was much easier to fabricate.”
Joshua Major, also part of the NREL power electronics team, developed new fabrication methods that allowed the intricate structure to be produced using only in-house tools and facilities. The result was a design that combined the electrical advantages of three-dimensional systems with the practicality of flat manufacturing.
Flexible Materials and Wireless Control
ULIS also departs from conventional materials. Traditional power modules bond copper directly to rigid ceramic bases to conduct electricity and manage heat. While effective, this approach limits flexibility.
Instead, ULIS bonds copper to a flexible polymer called Temprion. This change produces a thinner, lighter, and more adaptable structure. The material bonds to copper using only heat and pressure, and its components can be machined with widely available equipment. As a result, manufacturing costs fall into the hundreds of dollars rather than the thousands.
Another major advance allows ULIS to operate wirelessly. The module can be controlled and monitored without physical cables, functioning as a self-contained unit. This modular, Lego-like design allows it to be integrated into a wide range of systems, from data center servers to advanced aircraft and military vehicles. A patent for the low-latency wireless communication protocol, led by Sarwar Islam, is currently pending.
Designed for Future Technologies
While ULIS currently relies on advanced silicon carbide semiconductors, the design was intentionally built to evolve. The module can be adapted for future semiconductor materials, including gallium nitride and gallium oxide, which has not yet reached commercial use.
Together, these innovations support a central goal. As societies become increasingly dependent on reliable electricity, ULIS is designed to deliver efficiency without sacrificing dependability.
Where ULIS Could Make the Biggest Difference
ULIS is expected to have broad impact across multiple sectors.
In the U.S. power grid, electricity must be converted into usable forms before it reaches consumers. This process often depends on large, low-frequency equipment that wastes energy. ULIS’ fast switching improves efficiency while its ability to tolerate high temperatures may reduce long-term maintenance costs.
In aviation, the module’s ability to move electricity quickly and conserve energy enables lighter and more powerful converters. This could help make electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft more practical and commercially viable.
ULIS could also play a role in future fusion energy systems. Although commercial fusion remains under development, these systems will require compact and reliable pulsed power components. ULIS’ ultralow inductance and durable design make it well suited for that challenge.
As industries pursue more reliable electricity, advanced artificial intelligence, and next-generation vehicles, ULIS is now available for licensing.
For more information: National Laboratory of the Rockies
Image: NREL’s Ultra-Low Inductance Smart (ULIS) power module can help “squeeze” more usable power out of the world’s electricity supply, making it a promising solution to rising energy demands to power data centers and vehicles. Credit: Brooke Buchan, NREL
Boise State University’s growing prominence in materials science and microelectronics is driven in part by the work of faculty members such as David Estrada, a U.S. Navy veteran and Boise State alumnus. Estrada earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Boise State in 2007, supported by the McNair Scholars Program and multiple graduate research fellowships. He is now a professor in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering and serves as site director for the National Science Foundation’s Center for Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings, helping advance the university’s standing as a national leader in advanced materials research.
Since rejoining the College of Engineering, Estrada has secured nearly $31 million in research awards as a Principal Investigator or co-Investigator, leading projects with his expertise in energy, water, and health care, with a focus on training the next generation of engineers for microelectronics, resilient materials, aerospace systems and the nation’s high-tech workforce.
During the course of his tenure at Boise State, Estrada has leveraged awards and programs to build an impactful research ecosystem within the College of Engineering. Estrada’s contributions at Boise State have earned him recognition at the highest levels.
Estrada was one of two Boise State professors who received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. government honor in this category; alongside Ellyn Enderlin, they are the first faculty members in Boise State’s history to receive the recognition.
His nomination was supported by Jessica Koehne, a scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, recognizing Estrada’s collaboration with NASA. His work has secured over $3 million in NASA funding and helped establish Boise State’s Aerospace Days, benefiting over 300 Idaho students and teachers each year.
Estrada’s PECASE award builds upon previous early career recognition he received in 2019 when he was awarded a National Science Foundation’s CAREER award for his work in Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering.
Leading the charge
Beyond individual projects, Estrada plays a key role in shaping Boise State’s long-term research strategy. In the past year alone, Estrada has helped secure competitive national awards that expand Boise State’s capabilities in semiconductor resilience and extreme-environment microelectronics.
Under Boise State’s new SUPER Agreement with the Idaho National Laboratory, he co-leads the thrust area in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, helping align university research with the national lab’s mission in energy resilience, nuclear materials and wide-bandgap semiconductors.
This partnership opens the door for expanded research opportunities, internships and national lab engagement for Boise State students and faculty.
“My journey through higher education has really kind of shaped how I approach teaching and research,” Estrada said. “On the teaching side. I think I really try to strive to give students opportunities I had. Opportunities for research or experiential learning, internships, things like this. And on the research side, I was really motivated by trying to solve big problems that face humanity, these grand challenges.”
He has led transformative workforce development programs as principal investigator on Idaho’s f irst NSF S-STEM Track 3 award and an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory. As former associate director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), he helped expand statewide research infrastructure and strategic STEM investments that have supported over $55 million in external funding.
Distinguished alumni
In the fall of 2025, Estrada reached another career milestone when he was honored with Boise State’s Distinguished Alumni Award, one of the university’s highest recognitions celebrating graduates whose professional and personal achievements have elevated Boise State’s reputation and advanced its mission regionally, nationally and internationally.
“As a Boise State alumni, Dave makes an incredible impact on our students,” College of Engineering Dean Amy Fleischer said. “He is this person that our students can look to, that our faculty can look to, and they can see the impact that they can make on the world and I think that’s really profound.”
What makes this recognition especially notable is that Estrada is the second full-time tenure-track faculty member to receive the award while actively working at the university, underscoring both his exceptional contributions to research excellence and his deep commitment to the Boise State community.
His selection reflects a rare blend of scholarly impact, sustained leadership and service that continues to inspire students, colleagues and alumni alike as Boise State strengthens its national presence in materials science and engineering.
For more information: Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering
The merger of Stanford Nano Shared Facilities and the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility in September created nano@stanford, now the university’s largest shared research facility on campus. Yuri Suzuki, the Stanley G. Wojcicki Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and a professor of applied physics, also serving by courtesy in materials science and engineering, was appointed the inaugural director
Here, Suzuki discusses the open-access facility and how it supports cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research and education in nanoscale science and engineering.
Why merge the two facilities now?
SNF has its origins in the School of Engineering, going back to the 1980s as a professional-grade cleanroom for fabricating electronics devices. It is a facility that enables researchers to make things they will use. SNSF arose from the effort to aggregate several characterization laboratories under one umbrella. SNSF enables researchers to analyze their work. Making and analyzing are not only complementary but necessary for quality experimental work.
Since their inception, SNF and SNSF have evolved to meet the needs of our researchers, each acquiring capabilities that span their traditional domains of both “making” and “analyzing.” The merger on September 1, 2025, follows the natural progression of the needs of our research community for easy access to the spectrum of fabrication and characterization capabilities.
SNF was most recently part of the School of Engineering, while SNSF was governed by the Vice Provost and Dean of Research. In the past, there’s been discussion about merging them, but it had never materialized. Philip Wong, a professor in the School of Engineering, was the director of SNF while I was the director of SNSF. Together, we thought a single research infrastructure unit would better serve the community by accelerating their research and eliminating overlapping tools and infrastructure. This time, the stars aligned. Both Dean of Engineering Jennifer Widom and Vice Provost and Dean of Research David Studdert agreed.
What does the merger mean for researchers?
Over the years, the two facilities had evolved their own administrative and laboratory ecosystems. This was challenging for researchers using both facilities, who had to use different protocols to perform the same operation.
Now, researchers in nano@stanford have a unified user experience, with minimal administrative barriers and a more uniform cost structure and policies. Most importantly, we can better support our researchers by engaging at a holistic project level rather than a one-instrument-at-a-time approach. Finally, the merged organization helps make Stanford more competitive with our peers in pursuing grants and other opportunities.
We provide access to state-of-the-art lithography, etching, and thin-film deposition tools, as well as state-of-the-art characterization tools, in a single facility at nano@stanford. Not only do we help our users identify the appropriate fabrication tools but also suitable characterization tools for their sample. The shared facility is a partnership between faculty, users, and staff, and it is designed to help all of us stay on top of innovation. nano@stanford facilities are located across five locations on campus: Allen, Shriram, Spilker, McCullough, and Deep Lab. The administrative headquarters will be in Deep Lab when it officially opens in March.
How would you explain nanotechnology to someone unfamiliar with the field?
Nanotechnology is a very broad term. People often think of semiconductor electronics – chips in your computer – but it really means anything at the nanometer-length scale, which is about 10,000 times thinner than the width of a human hair. At these length scales, forces like static electricity and surface tension, which are barely noticeable in everyday life, become dominant. Understanding and controlling these nanoscale effects allows us to create advanced electronics, uncover new scientific insights, and drive innovation.
Miniaturization requires tools to pattern materials at the nanometer-length scale. The materials may be films or clusters of molecules. Whatever the medium, we need to develop reproducible fabrication processes. We also need to know what we’ve made using our characterization tools.
At nano@stanford, there are both fabrication and characterization tools. Nanofabrication involves the processing of materials with nanoscale features. Then these nanofabricated materials are characterized to confirm what you made is what you think you made. It’s not just knowing how small you made them, but understanding their behavior at very small length scales.
Stanford has a rich history in nanotechnology research. What are some notable breakthroughs?
One of the significant inventions at Stanford is the atomic force microscope, or AFM. It was invented by one of my Applied Physics colleagues, Calvin Quate, with Gerd Binnig and Christoph Gerber, and came into manufacturing when I was a grad student in the early 1990s. We are currently putting together an exhibit about its development for the newly expanded facilities at the Deep Lab. nano@stanford recently honored Quate’s memory at a symposium celebrating 40 years of atomic force microscopy.
The microscope allows you to image samples at the atomic scale by probing forces between a cantilever and the underlying sample; hence, Quate, Binnig, and Gerber developed a sensitive cantilever that enables you to do this. Beyond imaging topography, the AFM can also provide advanced imaging of magnetic and electrical forces, conductivity, capacitance, and much more. For example, a magnetically coated cantilever can be used to detect magnetic structure on the surface of a sample – something that is very useful in my research. I still remember the first AFM I used at Stanford, which was suspended on a tripod using bungee cords.
The AFM is one of nanotechnology’s most important breakthroughs – and the first AFM probes were developed and tested at Stanford using the fabrication and characterization facilities. With this merger, we aim to provide seamless access to both fabrication and measurement tools, enabling future innovations as transformative as the AFM.
For more information: nano@stanford
Image: Yuri Suzuki headshot
Researchers at the University of Vienna have demonstrated quantum interference in sodium nanoparticles containing more than 7,000 atoms—and produced clusters of nearly 10,000—showing that even large metallic particles can exhibit quantum behavior. Lead author Sebastian Pedalino said the results challenge the assumption that such objects must behave classically, confirming that quantum mechanics remains valid at this scale without the need for alternative models.
The team, led by Markus Arndt and Stefan Gerlich, achieved the breakthrough using sodium clusters exceeding 170,000 atomic mass units, larger than most proteins, marking a significant advance toward the long-sought goal of sustaining quantum superposition in increasingly complex systems.
The test was conducted using the multi-scale cluster interference experiment (MUSCLE).
To observe interference, the team had to minimize environmental disturbances that would destroy coherence. They produced the sodium clusters under cryogenic conditions (77 K, the temperature of liquid nitrogen) to reduce thermal decoherence, and ran the interferometer in ultra-high vacuum (about 9 × 10⁻⁹ mbar, roughly 10⁻¹¹ of atmospheric pressure) to limit collisions with gas molecules.
The scientists produced sodium clusters containing roughly 5,000 to 10,000 atoms and sent them through a three-grating interferometer made from standing ultraviolet laser light. The first grating spatially confined the particles to build up coherence, and the second grating acted as a beam splitter for the clusters’ matter wave. Scanning the third grating revealed an interference fringe pattern, and the team showed the fringe visibility followed the quantum prediction rather than a classical shadow-pattern model
The study achieved a macroscopicity value of 15.5. This metric quantifies how strictly an experiment tests the limits of quantum theory. This study has a value 10 times higher than any previous experiment.
This new level of sensitivity presents new opportunities for nanotechnology and materials science, opening new doors for measuring properties of nanoparticles and investigating the transition of matter from individual atoms to bulk metallic solids.
For more information: University of Vienna
Image: MUSCLE at the University of Vienna, where quantum interference of massive nanoparticles was detected. To isolate vibrations, the experiment is mounted on a table weighing several tons that floats on an air cushion. Credit: S. Pedalino / Uni Wien
A joint research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., has developed a new analysis method that can detect “hidden defects” in semiconductors, electronic traps that interfere with electrical flow, with approximately 1,000 times higher sensitivity than existing techniques.
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Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn., modified a commercial atomic force microscope with artificial intelligence to assemble and detect patterns in bismuth ferrite and analyze defects at the materials’ surface, advancing the understanding of these materials and enabling innovative data storage and computation methods.
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Intertek, UK, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, announced the opening of a new Intertek Caleb Brett laboratory in Naples, Italy, strengthening its presence in this important region and addressing a growing demand for reliable, high-quality testing services in crude oil, refined fuels, and emerging biofuels.
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Tescan, Czech Republic, announces that Carlyle, together with the other shareholders, has entered into a definitive agreement with Shimadzu Corporation, Japan, for the sale of the company, resulting in a change in Tescan’s shareholding structure.
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Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and their collaborators conducted experiments with gold to learn more about the unexpected structures and properties it would adopt under high pressure. The results, which show gold switching structure at 10 million times the Earth’s atmospheric pressure, are essential for planetary modeling and fusion science.
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New research shows that diamond—although known for being the best natural heat conductor on Earth—at the atomic scale it can briefly trap heat in unexpected ways. The findings could influence how scientists design diamond-based quantum technologies, including ultra-precise sensors and future quantum computers.
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3D-Micromac AG, Germany, introduced microPREP L, a laser-based sample prep system that supports up to whole 12-inch wafers and system-level boards, enabling fast, precise, reproducible, and non-destructive material removal for semiconductor failure analysis and quality assurance.
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By studying the theoretical limits of how light can be used to perform computation, Cornell researchers have uncovered new insights and strategies for designing energy-efficient optical computing systems.
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A research team from Tokyo University of Science, Japan, has developed an automated artificial intelligence-based approach for analyzing X-ray absorption spectroscopy data to establish a clear and objective link between a material’s spectral data and its underlying material properties.
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Velo3D, Inc., Fremont, Calif., a leading additive manufacturing company for mission-critical metal parts, and Linde AMT, Speedway, Ind., (formerly known as Praxair Surface Technologies), a global leader in metal powders and coatings, have signed an agreement to supply domestically produced CuNi (70-30 Copper-Nickel) powder in support of the U.S. Navy and the Maritime Industrial Base Program.
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Industrial Info Resources, Sugar Land, Texas, reports that several technology providers for high-capacity power-generation projects, including those catering to the growing data-center market, are reporting a dramatic growth in U.S. gas-turbine orders.
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ATL Turbine Services, Scotland, has expanded its technological capabilities by investing in the Surface Two thermal spray system from Oerlikon, Switzerland.
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Chromalloy, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a global leader in the aerospace engine aftermarket, has received Federal Aviation Administration parts manufacturer approval for its CFM56-5B/7B high pressure turbine blade.
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There are two basic types of feed systems that feed materials that can be thermally sprayed (including polymers, metals, metal alloys, intermetallics, ceramics, and composites): one that feeds wires or rods and another that feeds particulates.
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Tescan Group, Czech Republic, acquired FemtoInnovations, a leading innovator in ultrafast laser technologies, and created a new dedicated Laser Technology Business Unit headquartered at the University of Connecticut Tech Park that expands Tescan’s correlative and multimodal portfolio for semiconductor, biomedical device manufacturing, and advanced research markets.
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