Feature Articles

Just as a medication bottle might be opened and the tamper seals carefully reattached by a bad guy, the International Atomic Energy Agency is concerned its tamper-indicating devices could be bypassed and repaired or counterfeited. A possible solution? Engineers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a groundbreaking prototype using “bruising” materials. Their innovation doesn’t just detect tampering; the new device boldly displays the evidence, like battle scars.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sal Rodriguez, a nuclear engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, is forging a rocket revolution with the help of the University of New Mexico and student Graham Monroe.

Their cutting-edge research is propelling the future of aerospace by infusing rocket science with a touch of golf ball magic.

A team from Sandia National Laboratories and New Mexico State University is work to make a vision of a self-healing electrical possible — not with tiny robots, but rather a cutting-edge library of algorithms. By coding these algorithms into grid relays, the system can quickly restore power to as many hospitals, grocery stores and homes as possible before grid operators can begin repairs or provide instructions.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Sandia National Laboratories’ economic impact for fiscal year 2023 reached an all-time high of nearly $4.8 billion, which was $559 million more than in 2022.

The impact is evident in the 1,200 new jobs added in the last year, the $114 million in gross receipts taxes paid to the state and the $1.08 billion paid to the small business suppliers who help provide critical components for Sandia to fulfill its mission.

Sandia National Laboratories has been working on an autonomy project led by the Air Force Research Laboratory that could improve the nation’s ability to conduct national security missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, climate monitoring and emergency response.

A high-tech invisible ink invented at Sandia National Laboratories could become the newest tool for stopping counterfeit goods. The research team is now seeking partnerships to help develop and ultimately commercialize the new technology.

Yuan-Yu Jau is on a quest to build the world’s smallest atomic clock, a device that measures time with extreme accuracy. If successful, he and his team at Sandia National Laboratories will have made one smaller than a sugar cube. But he’s not the only one pushing the limits of tiny timepieces.

Sandia National Laboratories opened the doors August 7 to its new, cutting-edge Emergency Operations Center aimed at enhancing emergency incident management coordination and communications for the workforce and the community in the event of an emergency, disaster or crisis. The $42.5 million, 25,000-square-foot facility, located on Kirtland Air Force Base, is scheduled for full operations by early 2024. It will house the National Nuclear Security Administration and Sandia emergency management staff offices, along with the 24/7 Emergency Management Communications Center.

Sandia National Laboratories and research partner Know Biological have developed a miniaturized sensor system that can detect the specific gases released from the skin of people with epilepsy before a seizure.