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Knowledge of the structure of nanometer ice films has remained elusive due to a lack of imaging techniques. Electron microscopes have failed because their electron beams destroy the ice, and the insulating nature of ice has limited the imaging capabilities of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to one or two molecular layers. Two Sandians, Konrad Thürmer and Norm Bartelt (both 8656), discovered how to image ice multilayers using STM by extracting the electrons needed for imaging from the valence band of ice. This approach already has yielded new insights into water-solid interactions at the nanometer scale. (8600, 1100) ER&N
Natural materials like the lotus leaf or carapace of the desert beetle have evolved self-cleaning and water-harvesting surfaces that repel or direct water movement in rolling drops. Sandia developed a simple, biomimetic-coating process that allows immediate formation of such “superhydrophobic” coatings on arbitrary surfaces. Water is not merely repelled; it literally jumps or rolls off. Unlike previous work, Sandia’s process provides perfect transparency and requires no surface treatment. It can prevent corrosion, protect electronics and antiquities, avoid fogging or icing, and provide a new approach to water collection. (1000, 1800, 8600) ST&E
Two-dimensional bilayers, with electrons in one layer and holes in the other, are predicted to exhibit quantum Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons, which are usually generated optically. Sandia fabricated unique electron-hole bilayer semiconductor heterostructures to test this theory and quantified coupling between electron and hole layers using Coulomb drag measurements. An increase in drag resistance for a narrow barrier device at very low temperatures suggests pairing of electrons and holes into excitons. This is the first evidence that excitons can be electrically generated in such systems. (1100, 1700) ER&N
Manufacturing Science & Technology Center 2400 and Honeywell FM&T have developed an innovative process to manufacture composite housings for weapon use-control devices and potentially many other applications. Composite housings use fibers in a polymer matrix to provide an attractive combination of high strength and low weight. Traditional methods for making such housings are labor-intensive and costly. The new process, now entering production, uses special molding compounds and foams to form complex internal features with fewer steps, resulting in a 60 percent time and cost reduction. (2400, Honeywell FM&T) NW