WKU News

Dr. Ali Er, Associate Professor of Physics, has been awarded a Research Infrastructure Development Grant in the amount of $35,000. The grant comes from the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, both funded by NASA and administered through the University of Kentucky. The purpose is to support research capacity and student involvement in space and STEM-related fields across the state.

Dr. Ali's project explores how powerful ultrafast laser pulses can reshape the surface of shape memory alloys, special metals that “remember” their original form. By using lasers to imprint tiny, reversible patterns with size one thousand times the diameter of human hair, the team aims to design smart surfaces that can adapt their shape or behavior with temperature changes. These materials could one day help aircraft and spacecraft reduce drag, resist icing and improve energy efficiency.

Explaining the work's significance, Dr. Ali noted, "Our goal is to make materials that can literally think on their surface—adapting in real time to their environment. With NASA Kentucky’s support, we can train students to use advanced laser systems while developing technology that may someday influence how aircraft and spacecraft move through air or space."

Contact: Dr. Mike Carini | info@physics.wku.edu | https://www.wku.edu/physics