Congratulations to Professor Maxx Arguilla who received a $200,000 grant from Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities to support his further research into nanoscale crystalline materials!
Professor Maxx Arguilla of the UC Irvine Department of Chemistry recently received a $200,000 grant from the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities to advance his research into nanoscale crystalline materials.
The award, distributed through the society’s ASCENDR Research Program, supports research aligned with the science and technology priorities of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Arguilla’s lab is part of the UC Irvine Eddleman Quantum institute, and it works to understand the material properties of new nanoscale materials with the aim of stimulating the development of next generation technologies.
The research this new award is funding focuses on the development of nano-scale molecules that, inspired by natural molecules like proteins and nucleic acids, can detect light and translate those light detections into electrical signals decipherable by compact devices.
“In the long term, endowing electrically-conducting and opto-electronical materials with dimensions that approach the atomic scale will enable us to create single material photodetector pixels that are sensitive to certain kinds of light without necessitating bulky filters and additional optical components,” said Arguilla, who explained that the work could one day lead to novel technologies useful in defense-related industries.
“These materials that are highly sensitive to light will enhance immersive training, intuitive cockpit displays and high-fidelity command-and-control visualization through light and compact soldier-worn AR/VR systems,” Arguilla added.
A commitment to promoting graduate student involvement in his research helped make Arguilla’s proposal a success, along with early support from funding sources like the Eddleman Quantum Institute, the Rose Hills Foundation and the UC Irvine Center for Complex and Active Materials.