Multi-institution consortium enables nuclear materials research at a new scale

Adrien Couet, Kumar Sridharan, and Paul Wilson, professors in the Department of Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, are helping advance nuclear materials research and workforce training through a multi-institution consortium led by Penn State University. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the consortium $6 million to build a new micro-fabrication facility that will enable researchers to evaluate nuclear materials’ behavior at the micro scale in conventional lab settings. This capability reduces barriers to working with radioactive materials by reducing the radiological risks and costs associated with traditional methods.

“Our unique experimental capabilities, including advanced microscopy and irradiation platforms, make us a natural partner for a project focused on understanding nuclear materials at very small scales,” says Couet. 

As a leader in nuclear materials research, UW–Madison is contributing strong expertise in the behavior of materials under extreme conditions, as well as advanced microscopy methods, particularly techniques like 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) and ASTAR. These techniques allow researchers to study materials at the nanoscale in high detail. 

By enabling experiments on micro-scale samples that are safer and easier to handle, this project not only reduces research barriers, but also expands opportunities for students to work with radioactive materials. 

“More students and faculty can get hands-on experience with cutting-edge nuclear materials research, which is something that has traditionally been limited to a small number of specialized facilities,” says Couet. 

Many of the facility’s state-of-the-art instruments can also be operated remotely, enabling experiential learning in a hybrid environment and curriculum sharing between universities. UW–Madison faculty members are helping to develop and teach one of the new hybrid courses within the consortium that focuses on analyzing radioactive materials. 

The shared courses, hands-on workshops, and collaborative research projects developed through this partnership will provide students access to a broader range of tools, expertise, and materials than what is available at a single institution. Together, this national network is advancing nuclear materials research, education, and training to accelerate the deployment of critical technologies.