Sandia LabNews

Sandia light mixer makes 11 colors at once

Sandia scientists have developed a new light-mixing metamaterial that can be used in many applications, from creating a multi-color laser pointer to discovering hidden archeological sites in dense forests to detecting signs of extraterrestrial life in the air to increasing communications speed and capacity via fiber-optic networks.

Generating electrical power from waste heat

Directly converting electrical power to heat is easy, but the opposite, converting heat into electrical power, hasn't been so easy — until now. Sandia researchers have developed a tiny silicon-based device that can harness what was previously called waste heat and turn it into DC power.

Sandia computational researcher wins DOE Early Career Research Program award

Sandia researcher Eric C. Cyr has received a 2018 Early Career Research Program award of $500,000 every year for five years to improve deep neural networks so they more efficiently combine experimental results with the most complex computer models.

Smarter, safer bridges with Sandia sensors

Sandia and UK-based Structural Monitoring Systems PLC have been working together for 15 years to create transportation systems that can send a signal when they're damaged. They've outfitted a U.S. bridge with a network of sensors that will alert maintenance engineers when they detect a crack large enough to require repair.

Cooking composites in the sun

Sandia’s solar tower is helping to assess how extreme temperature changes affect materials. The tests for the Air Force take advantage of the ability of Sandia’s National Solar Thermal Test Facility to simulate a very rapid increase in temperature followed by an equally rapid decrease.