NSF has long supported cross-disciplinary, fundamental research in information technology, advanced materials, nanoscale science, and many other key engineering research areas, including the societal implications of science and technology. These investments often lead to new innovations. For example, shown here is an illustration of work done by Marko Loncar, an NSF-funded electrical engineer at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, who creates tiny structures out of diamonds and other elements to manipulate how light and matter interact on the nanoscale. Control over light energy levels also has applications in quantum cryptography, quantum information processing, and nanoscale magnetometry.

Credit: Jay Penni; Marko Loncar, Harvard University