Innovative Material Application Day: Monday, November 16, 2009

Get the intricate details and understand the larger picture of some of the most unique materials to recently emerge and see what strides are being made to incorporate them into military use. Sessions include overviews of novel materials such as:

  • Ultrastrong nanocomposites
  • Metamaterials
  • Plus, how to improve the process for application!

8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration And Coffee

Hear how hierarchical organization for nanoscale materials can be applied!

9:00 am - 11:00 am Ultrastrong Nanocomposites With Hierarchical Organization For Advanced Military Applications

Light-weight ultrastrong materials are of paramount importance for the Department of Defense. Hierarchical organization of nanoscale materials can provide reliable opportunity for the development of next generation materials that are valuable for a variety of military applications. This session will address the high loading of nanoscale building blocks for ultrastrong composite materials, manufacture of light-weight transparent armor materials, enhancement techniques for body armor, and development of multifunctional (smart) materials for improved soldier safety and survivability.

How you will benefit:

  • Find out about multifunctional materials for improved soldier safety and survivability
  • Understand how nancomposites can be scaled up
  • Hear actual opportunities for military application

What you will learn:

  • High loading of nanoscale building blocks for ultrastrong composite materials
  • The manufacturing of light-weight transparent armor materials
  • Enhancement techniques for body armor

Session Leaders:

Nicholas A. Kotov
Chemical Engineering Department, Materials Science Department, Biomedical Engineering Department
University of Michigan
Kelechi C. Anyaogu
Senior Scientist
Nico Technologies Corporation

Hear about design, modeling, fabrication and application of nanstructured nonlinear metamaterials!

Lunch will be served

11:00 pm - 1:00 pm Nonlinear Metamaterials – Exploring Applications From Military Imaging To Stealth Technology

Metamaterials open unprecedented opportunities for refractive index engineering and enable highly unusual regimes of nonlinear light-matter interactions. Availability of low-loss, reconfigurable and broadband metamaterials at optical frequencies is essential for the realization of their applications ranging from military imaging and sensors, with improved resolution and sensitivity to communications and optical stealth technology. Many of these functionalities benefit from a combination of unique linear and nonlinear properties of these materials. This session will focus on the design, modeling, fabrication, and applications of nanostructured nonlinear metamaterials.

How you will benefit:

  • Learn about metamaterails and how they can apply to your military needs
  • Understand metamaterials from all phases
  • Hear about how they can be applied and scaled up for use

What you will learn:

  • How you can apply metamaterials to your military applications
  • Hear about future opportunities that these unique materials can offer from military imaging and sensors, improved resolution and sensitivity to communication and optical stealth technology

Session Leader:

Natalia M. Litchinitser
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo
The State University of New York

A demonstration of an experimental realization of a cloak design that can conceal real objects!

1:00 pm- 3:00 pm Demonstration: Showcasing An Experimental Cloak Design For Concealing Objects

The possibility of cloaking an object from detection by electromagnetic waves has recently become a topic of considerable interest. The design of a cloak uses transformation optics, in which a conformal coordinate transformation is applied to Maxwell's equations to obtain a spatially distributed set of constitutive parameters that define the cloak. Here, we present an experimental realization of a cloak design that conceals a perturbation on a flat conducting plane, under which an object can be hidden.

To match the complex spatial distribution of the required constitutive parameters, we constructed a metamaterial consisting of thousands of elements, the geometry of each element determined by an automated design process. The ground-plane cloak can be realized with the use of nonresonant metamaterial elements, resulting in a structure having a broad operational bandwidth (covering the range of 13 to 16 gigahertz in our experiment) and exhibiting extremely low loss. Our experimental results indicate that this type of cloak should scale well toward optical wavelengths.

How you will benefit:

  • Understand the unusual characteristics that make this possible
  • Openly discuss opportunities for future application within military use

What you will learn:

  • How this technique can be scaled up
  • The role and use of this innovation for future application

Session Leader:

David R. Smith
William Bevan Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Center for Metamaterials and Integrated Plasmonics
Director, Duke University

Lighter, smaller and more powerful autonomous energy generation strategies!

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Small Business Innovation Research - Mining The SBIR Resource Mining The SBIR Resource For Advanced Material Solutions To Emerging Defense Needs For Autonomous Energy Generation

As the Navy, Marine Corps and Army have explored lighter, smaller and more powerful autonomous energy generation strategies aligned with new battlespace parameters, SBIR has emerged as a principal test-bed for research, development and transition of advanced materials supporting these stand-alone energy generation devices. SBIR's ability to attract cutting-edge material solution providers, and partner them with large firm production capability and acquisition program needs, is drawing increased attention from government and industry decision makers. This workshop samples resonant technologies and key technology transition stream players.

How you will benefit:

  • See samples of resonant technologies and key technology transition stream players
  • Understand what it takes to partner with large firms to increase production capability and acquisition program needs

What you will learn:

  • Means for the military to align energy generation strategies along with battlespace parameters
  • How SBIR is facilitating this transition through extensive research and development for these new materials
  • Commercialization tactics to draw increased attention and resources

Session Leader:

Allen Baker
Primes Initiative Manager
Navy SBIR Program Office