Research Overview

The Functional Materials Laboratory, has expanded widely from its original focus of designing atomically perfect complex materials. In each case, funded subgroups have emerged to solve national-level problems such as chemical weapons detection and secure precision time and frequency.

​​The primary research areas fit into three categories:

• Complex Functional Materials. How do we create complex materials with sufficient atomic and crystalline ordering (99%+) to determine their intrinsic properties and use them in functional electronic systems?
• Airborne Chemical Sensing. How do we identify toxic and industrial chemicals (chemical weapons, explosives, opiates) at trace levels quickly and accurately, to keep warfighters, homeland security, and law enforcement safe?
• Precision Time and Frequency. How do we overcome deficits in both training and cybersecure technology, enabling autonomous vehicles and safeguarding reliant defense, finance, telecommunication, and energy interests?

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