Dave McIlroy has received a grant from the Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research, to study the fundamental properties of hybrid metamaterials consisting of gold mesoscopic structures and wide band
gap semiconductors for the purpose of enhancing the electrical responses of sensors to the presence of airborne analytes, such as the signatures of explosives. The project is entitled, “Surface Plasmon Polariton Pumped Explosives.” It is a three year project with a budget of $426,642 that will support two graduate students, an undergraduate and associated costs of the research.