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Nebraska-developed quantum sensing technique could facilitate advances in multiple fields

Abdelghani Laraoui in his lab.Two papers recently published outline how research teams in Abdelghani Laraoui's lab are using a quantum sensing technique his lab developed that could lead to significant breakthroughs in data transport technologies and disease treatment. The first paper, “Mapping of Spin-Wave Transport in Thulium Iron Garnet Thin Films Using Diamond Quantum Microscopy,” was published in Advanced Electronic Materials and shows how the team made the first documented measurements of how surface spin waves propagate in thin films of thulium iron garnet (TmIG). The second paper, "Nitrogen-Vacancy Magnetic Relaxometry of Nanocluster Cytochrome C Proteins," published in Nano Letters, shows how researchers used the nitrogen-vacancy layer as a quantum sensor to more accurately assess the performance of cytochrome C (Cyt-C) nanoclusters, which are water-soluble proteins that play a vital role in electron transport chains of mitochondria. (3/12/24)


Unlocking the Future of Ammunition: Ordinal Munitions Technologies Embarks on a Lead-Free Revolution

Diagram showing that by combining Al and Ni, then adding electrical and mechanical stimuli leads to ignition.The Wichita-based startup Ordinal Munitions Technologies has completed its initial research phase in its quest for a lead-free alternative to ammunition primers. Utilizing the magnetron sputtering capabilities at the NNCI: Nebraska Nanoscale Facility (NNF), the company has successfully synthesized ignitable nanomaterials, which will be used for future characterization and testing. This initial research has laid the foundation for an upcoming submission of an NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I proposal, scheduled later this year. The company's founders share an unwavering belief in the transformative potential of nanomaterials for combustion applications in both the civilian and military markets. (3/6/24)


Top Sponsored Awards, January 2024

Yongfeng Lu on left, Nirupam Aich on right. The following list includes all U.S.-issued patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers from Oct. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023, as reported by NUtech Ventures:

Yongfeng Lu, $1,625,000, University of Rochester, Fabrication and Verification of Fuel Targets for Laser Fusion Research

C. Ray, Nirupam Aich, X. Li, D. Snow, $278,969, Department of Interior-Geological Survey, Release, Adsorption, and Biotransformation of Biosolid-Borne PFAAs at the Water-Sediment Interface in Agricultural Watersheds
(3/4/24)


NPR features Gay’s solution to football physics conundrum

Photo of Tim Gay with his arm on a football.Leading up to Super Bowl LVIII, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Tim Gay was featured on a Feb. 7 episode of NPR’s “Short Wave” podcast that delved into a longtime mystery of football physics he helped explain: On a deep, well-thrown pass, why does the front tip of a football follow the ball’s trajectory, so that it points upward when launched but downward by the time it reaches a receiver? (2/14/24)


New material design for transistors could downsize next-gen tech

Photo of Xia Hong.By better taming the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of an alternative to the semiconductor — one that transitions from electricity-resisting insulator to current-conducting metal — Nebraska’s Xia Hong and colleagues may have unlocked a new path to smaller, more efficient digital devices. The team reported its findings in the journal Nature Communications. (2/14/24)




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For over 30 years, the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made waves in the areas of materials and nanoscience research. As we look to the future, Nebraska is poised to become a leader in quantum materials and technologies research. Please consider giving to the NCMN Research and Education Fund today to help us achieve this goal.

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Portrait of Dr. Abdelghani Laraoui.

Faculty Spotlight: Abdelghani Laraoui

Dr. Abdelghani Laraoui is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at UNL. Dr. Laraoui’s primary research focuses on developing new quantum materials based on color centers in diamond (NV, SiV, GeV), and defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors (SiC, GaN, ZnO) and two dimensional materials (hBN, TMDs) for applications in quantum sensing and quantum information processing. Read more about Dr. Laraoui's current research in the latest installment of our newsletter Interfaces.