News

Engineering News

MIT researchers have created a quantum sensor that can measure multiple physical quantities at high-resolution. The sensor is made from so-called nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds, where a carbon atom in the diamond’s crystal lattice is replaced by a nitrogen atom and a neighboring atom is missing, creating an electronic spin that is sensitive to external effects.

Multitasking quantum sensors can measure several properties at once

MIT engineers and colleagues have developed a soft, flexible gel that dramatically changes its conductivity upon the application of light. This figure shows a soft, stretchable circuit created with a rectangular bar of the gel. A copper electrode is attached to the left. A stylus and associated metal network connects the electrode to three “stations” on the bar. Light has been shone on the first two stations, creating conductivity that turns on each station’s lightbulb. Because the third station has not been exposed to light it is nonconductive and the bulb is off.

Light-activated gel could impact wearables, soft robotics, and more

Carissma McGee SM ’25

Bridging space research and policy

A man in a navy suit gestures with both hands while presenting in front of a screen displaying scientific images and partial text.

Vincent Sitzmann named Junior Bose Award winner

Desirée Plata, the School of Engineering Distinguished Climate and Energy Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named associate dean of engineering.

Desirée Plata appointed associate dean of engineering

Jack Dennis ’53, MS ’54, ScD ’58 joined the then-Department of Electrical Engineering in the 1950s. In addition to his influential research on distributed computing, Dennis developed numerous courses for the department, several of which are still taught (with updates) today.

Professor Emeritus Jack Dennis, pioneering developer of dataflow models of computation, dies at 94