sensors and materials Lab (smL)

SML researchers lend their expertise to a broad range of investigations in engineered structural and active materials, energy and thermal technologies, nanotechnologies, innovative detector materials and sensors, and microelectromechanical (MEM) device design and processing.

Battery systems are an emerging research area in the lab which employs the fundamentals of chemistry and materials to enhance the power and energy density, reliability and integration of energy storage systems. The lab has the ability to analyze and model the behavior of these electrochemical systems for projected use scenarios.

The lab is also extending HRL's expertise in the growth and processing of compound semiconductor materials to develop new lower cost detector materials and devices, particularly for the infrared spectral region. This research aims at driving down materials cost and increasing spectral performance for next-generation sensor systems.

Hierarchical materials research focuses on architecture at the micron or lower size scale to provide new functionality. SML staff members have designed, modeled, fabricated and tested architected materials for structural functions such as energy absorption, vibration damping, high stiffness to weight ratios, thermal management, high-speed morphing and tailored coefficient-of-thermal-expansion control.

HRL is harnessing the power of nanotechnology to provide innovative solutions for challenging coating, energy storage, thermal management and optical problems. Scaled up synthesis and self-assembly processes for nanoscale structures such as nanotubes, nanowires and quantum dots are being developed to produce new coating technologies with enhanced functional properties.

The lab has also brought attention to HRL with its competency in the design and fabrication of high-performance microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device elements based on quartz materials. The lab has developed a variety of miniaturized gyroscopes, filters, oscillators and resonators for integration into communications, guidance and sensing systems.

Current Openings

• Research Staff, Nanoscale Materials - 0960.01
• Manager Research Project, IR Detectors - 0960.06
• Development Engineer, Cryogenic - 0960.08
• Research Staff, MEMS and NEMS Devices - 1060.04
• Development Engineer, Sensing Techologies - 1060.05
• Development Engineer, MEMs Devices- 1060.08
• Development Engineer, Materials Fabrication - 1060.09