Nanophotonics and nanomaterials to drive research at new USC institute

Northrop Grumman and USC establish NG-ION2 institute for advanced research in optical materials and nanophotonic devices.

Conard Holton

April 29, 2016

2 min read

NG-ION2 aims to translate novel photonics materials into devices and scale-up of devices into systems-level architectures, which frequently requires modifying the initial material.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) and the University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering have teamed up to establish a new institute for advanced research in optical materials and nanophotonic devices. The Northrop Grumman Institute of Nanophotonics and Nanomaterials (NG-ION2) will be based on the USC campus (Los Angeles, CA), and bring together research teams from the university and the aerospace industry.

"The collaboration between USC Viterbi and Northrop Grumman has a long, productive and impactful history," said USC Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. "NG-ION2 will enhance our common ties and contribute significantly to the advancement of photonics, an area of historical strength at USC, and of critical importance to technological evolution."

Under the agreement, Northrop Grumman will contribute $500,000 to NG-ION2 in 2016. This funding will help foster interdisciplinary research by material scientists, electrical engineers, physicists and chemists to develop novel materials for optical devices.

USC Viterbi will grant Northrop Grumman scientists visiting researcher positions, a strategy that will allow them to work collaboratively on campus with their Institute counterparts. Andrea Armani, of USC Viterbi, and Jesse Tice, senior scientist and nanomaterials group lead, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, will serve as NG-ION2's co-directors. Armani leads a research group at USC focused on integrated photonics.

The Northrop Grumman/USC Viterbi team has selected a wide range of projects for initial support in 2016. These projects include theoretical and experimental studies on 2D materials, plasmonics, and nonlinear optics. The team will select additional projects for support later this summer.

Source: Northrop Grumman

About the Author

Conard Holton

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.