A West Virginia University physicist is conducting research that could one day lead to”next generation”devices for detecting tumors at an earlier stage or protecting military aircraft from missile attacks.
Nancy Giles, a professor in WVU s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, uses the energy of light to conduct research of solid state physics on crystals used in optics and memory storage. By observing lasers passing through a crystal, she can determine how well the material will perform its designed application.
Among her many projects, two are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and two by the U.S. Air Force. One of her research objectives is to develop an industrial material that could be used in a tunable laser.
“We get a lot of defense_funded projects,”Dr. Giles said.”I dont create the devices they use; I just do basic research on materials using lasers so they can develop the devices.”
She studies materials by shooting a laser through crystals and observing how much of the lasers energy is caught within the crystals molecular structure. By doing this she can classify the material based on its chemical properties and viability for a purpose. It is a more accurate method of discovering flaws in a crystal than chemical testing, and it is non_destructive.
“I look for impurities in crystals so that the crystal growers can develop better materials for use in todays world. By studying the effects of the laser passing through the crystal, I can tell where and how many electrons get trapped to identify defects within the crystal,”she said.
One problem she faces is that certain materials respond better to different types of light. Infrared light tests certain materials better than ultraviolet light, and vice versa. So, Giles is trying to develop a laser that is tunable, able to be adjusted to emit different waves of light.
How might this benefit the real world? This technology has several applications where it could be put to use.
The lasers doctors use today for surgery, cancer treatments and to monitor oxygen content in blood are non_tunable and cumbersome. Gilestunable laser would be smaller and more efficient because it could be tuned to the cells the doctor is working on.
Another function of a tunable laser would be on aircraft used by the military. This laser could be used to disrupt the tracking system of a missile fired by the enemy. Certain missiles have different electronics so different bands of light are needed to dislodge them from destroying their targets. A tunable laser could be adjusted to the missiles systems and the aircraft could dodge defeat.
“Its notStar Warstechnology. We arent shooting down missiles with lasers. Its a defensive strategy to create a sophisticated standoff. If the enemy knows we have the technology to disarm their missiles, then they wont shoot them. This is a reality that isnt too far away,”Giles said..
Giles said physics department faculty are conducting more than $2 million of research a year with 16 faculty members.
She earned an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a doctorate in 1987 from North Carolina State University, both in physics. She joined the Eberly College physics department in 1989 after teaching and conducting research at North Carolina State University for two years.