Critical & Emerging Technologies

Energy harvesting is the process of collecting low-level ambient energy and converting it into electrical energy to be used as a power source for miniaturized autonomous devices. Examples of this can be seen in structural health monitoring, smart packaging solutions, communication systems, transportation, air and aerospace vehicles, structural biology, robotics, …

The vision for the future soldier is to be combat effective and also highly mobile, adaptive, networked, sustainable with total battle space situation awareness and information assurance. Therefore, he is equipped with night- vision goggles, radios, smartphones, GPS, infrared sights, a laptop as well as batteries to power them. Some …

Spintronics is an emerging field of nanoscale electronics  whose central theme is the active manipulation of spin degrees of freedom of charge carriers in solid-state systems, in addition to their electronic charge used in traditional semiconductor electronics. Spintronics or spin electronics in contrast to conventional electronics uses the spin of electrons …

The threats of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) hazards continue to advance. CBRN weapons are some of the most indiscriminate and deadly weapons in existence today, with capability to affect large population in wide geographical area and in short time. The release of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear …

Modern cryptography being used extensively for securing our internet payments, banking transactions, emails and even phone conversations use cryptographic algorithms based on public-key encryption, which is considered to be secure against attacks from modern computers.   The development of quantum computers once seen as a remote theoretical possibility is now …

Silicon carbide, also known as carborundum, is a unique compound of carbon and silicon and is one of the hardest available materials.  Characteristics such as relatively low thermal expansion, high force-to-weight radius, high thermal conductivity, hardness, resistance to abrasion and corrosion, and most importantly, the maintenance of elastic resistance at …

Integrated circuits and power devices utilized by the semiconductor industry for the production of advanced computers, consumer electronics, communication networks, and industrial and military systems have been almost exclusively based on silicon technology. The requirements of future electronics place a great emphasis on achieving new devices with greater power density …

Geopolymer concrete—an innovative material in light of the ongoing emphasis on sustainability is a potential alternative to conventional portland cement concrete for use in transportation infrastructure construction. In contrast to portland cement, most geopolymer systems rely on minimally processed natural materials or industrial byproducts to provide the binding agents. Since …