Robert H. Lurie Nanofabrication Facility - a Big Improvement for Small Worlds

The College of Engineering recently completed a $40-million, 37,000-square-foot addition to its nanofabrication facility, now known as the Robert H. Lurie Nanofabrication Facility (LNF), which has been - and will continue to be - a major contributor of high-tech solutions throughout the State of Michigan and beyond. The expansion was funded in part by a gift from Ann Lurie, wife of the late Robert Lurie (BSE IOE '64, MSE '66).

The facility, which contributed $500 million to the Michigan economy over the past five years, has accelerated developments in nanotechnology, which is making life better for many people, in many ways - cochlear implants allow profoundly deaf people to hear, "smart nanoparticles" dismantle harmful chemical and biological agents, preprogrammed iron nanoparticles remove toxic metals from groundwater, and quantum-dot technology might someday help doctors detect cancer cells earlier than is possible with current techniques. The addition to the facility will enable engineers to develop technologies with much smaller features and more intricate applications. U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said that the facility "is a stunning and important component of the University's research and development initiatives in the world of nanotechnology."

The LNF was dedicated on April 11.

Senator Carl Levin Visits CoE

U.S. Senator Carl Levin visited the College of Engineering last fall, primarily to review a super continuum laser with multiple commercial consumer and Department of Defense applications that include Directional Infrared Counter Measures and detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The laser is the work of Mohammed Islam, professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and his students. Dave Munson, Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, and Islam updated Levin on Michigan Engineering's new areas of focus, which include entrepreneurial initiatives, new research centers and technology transfer. Brian Gilchrist, interim chair and professor, EECS, and professor, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, gave an overview of the new Robert H. Lurie Nanofabrication Facility.

New Laser Sets Record for Intensity

Victor Yanovsky, a research scientist in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has created a new pulsed laser that's twice as intense as one that Michigan Engineering researchers produced in 2004. A laser of this intensity could help scientists develop better proton and electron beams for radiation treatment of cancer, among other applications. The power of the beam - 300 terawatts - is 300 times the capacity of the entire United States electricity grid. Its intensity is about two orders of magnitude greater than that of any other laser in the world. You can read about this research, in depth, online at http://www.engin.umich.edu/goto/laser.