Dr. Rana receives Office of Naval Research grant

The Office of Naval Research has awarded Delaware State University a four-year $799,947 grant that will fund research aimed at providing greater safety to military forces in the field.

Dr. Mukti Rana, Professor of Physics and Engineering, is the Principal Investigator of the grant. His research will involve the development of rare earth element-doped aluminum nitride ferroelectric material.

The research is driven by the need – especially in military applications – for transistors that require very low power to operate them. Dr. Rana’s rare aluminum nitride would be used in transistors to achieve the low operating power results.

In relation to military use of such technologies, Dr. Rana will explore device, system and network innovations that provide military expeditionary forces with enhanced situational awareness in warfare environments. This will include autonomous sensing and communication in complex, congested and contested electromagnetic operating environment.

Dr. Rana will be working with Dr. Dennis Prather, a College of Engineering Alumni Distinguished Professor at the University of Delaware in this research.