Project Grant 2522861

Federal Grant Award Summary

The Washington University received a $669,000 collaborative research project grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Materials Research, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), with an award date of April 1, 2026 and completion date of March 31, 2030. This NSF-Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) collaborative research award focuses on the rational design of tunable anisotropic chalcogenides for optical applications. The research delivers a new class of low-loss optical materials with controlled spatial variations and dynamically tunable optical anisotropy across visible to mid-infrared spectral ranges through an integrated approach combining first-principles density functional theory, materials informatics, vapor transport crystal growth, and pulsed laser deposition synthesis techniques.

The research outcomes have direct applications in faster light-based communication systems, advanced sensors, mixed reality displays, photon routers for quantum computing, and laser-based manufacturing tools. Beyond core research deliverables, the award includes substantial educational and workforce development components, including comprehensive training for materials scientists and engineers, coordinated student exchanges with DFG partners in Germany, collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, and community-building activities such as an online photonics research forum. The project emphasizes entrepreneurship cultivation across participating institutions and positions participating researchers and students to advance optical material science at the intersection of fundamental discovery and commercial application.