Federal Grant Award Summary

Cornell University's Office of Sponsored Programs received a $525,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Materials Research under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049), effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2030. The award supports research to develop novel nano-engineered materials that achieve "pure optical rotation"—enabling light polarization control without signal loss—through self-assembled nanostructures rather than conventional fabrication methods. The research addresses a central scientific challenge: decoupling optical rotation from absorption by leveraging non-degenerate exciton coupling in ordered nanomaterial assemblies. The project will validate a quantum mechanical coupled-dipole framework connecting nanoscale transition dipole geometry, energetic detuning, and structural disorder to macroscopic chiroptical response, with experimental implementation across two materials systems: oriented organic multilayers and semiconductor nanomaterial superlattices.

Beyond the core research deliverables, the award includes workforce development and public engagement components. The project will train graduate and undergraduate students in quantum materials and photonics, supporting development of a skilled domestic workforce in next-generation optical technologies applicable to high-speed secure communications and photonic quantum computing. Educational outreach activities will include public demonstrations of optical phenomena to strengthen understanding of light-matter interactions and their technological relevance. The research is performed at Cornell University's Ithaca, New York campus.