Chapter 12. Nanotechnology in Federal Labs

Meyya Meyyappan

Federal laboratories play a major role in the development of nanotechnology. Some of the key players include NASA's Ames Research Center, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratories, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the various Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories around the country. The focus of the efforts in these laboratories is technology development for the needs of the parent organization.

For example, the impetus for nanotechnology research at NASA labs is the development of advanced miniaturization of sensors and instrumentation for science missions to meet the need for smaller mass, volume, and power consumption. Some of the mission needs expected to benefit from nanotechnology include the development of radiation-hardened electronics and communication devices, microcraft (weighing only 10kg or less), high-strength but low-weight composites for future spacecraft, and a sensor network consisting of thousands of physical, chemical, and biosensors for planetary exploration.

Federal laboratories in the Department of Defense are focused on developing ultrasensitive and highly discriminating sensors for chemical, biological, and nuclear threats. Revolutions in electronics, optoelectronics, and photonics devices for gathering, protection, and transmission of information are critical for DoD's missions. The goal of Army Research Lab in its nanotechnology efforts is to reduce the weight carried by individual soldiers without losing any functionality. DOE national laboratories serve the agency's missions related to both basic and applied energy research as well as national security. The DOE national laboratories also include the nation's largest network of user facilities, open to all researchers on a peer-review basis, including five Nanoscale Science Research Centers.