Photo of the Week: Building Materials at the Atomic Level

The Photo of the Week visually showcases the exciting work federal labs do every day! 

About this photo:

Experts at the National Security Agency (NSA) are working to build materials for applications in atomic devices. Beyond using necessary materials that already exist, researchers are able to physically stack atomic layers to create materials by design. By stacking atomic layers, scientists can manipulate the physical properties of the device they are creating to fit necessary specifications and metrics. While this process is very difficult, and requires certain expertise, it is relatively inexpensive to complete. Once the small-scale devices are created, intelligence partners are able to reproduce them at a larger scale for wider-reaching purposes.

About the federal lab:

National Security Agency, Department of Defense

NSA’s portfolio of patented technologies can be leveraged by companies of any size to build or enhance their businesses. The NSA Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) establishes partnerships that help accelerate mission goals, advance science, foster innovation and promote the growth and commercialization of technology originally created for Agency missions.