Technologies developed through pioneering research and development work. August 21, 2026 3:06 PM Earlier this year, FindLight, a marketplace for products specialized in photonics, reported that a study led by Penn State University had shed light on a little-known mystery outside research laboratories. For years, physicists thought the muon - a particle similar to an electron but 200 times heavier - might be revealing a hidden fifth force of nature. Using advanced lattice simulations and supercomputers, researchers found that the muon's magnetic behavior matches the predictions of the Standard Model with remarkable precision. Muon imaging is useful for examining the interiors of nuclear reactors, volcanoes, tsunamis, and the Great Pyramid, and is able to penetrate much further than X-rays through materials as dense as 30-meter-thick concrete walls. However, as the National Nuclear Security Administration pointed out, the method can be extremely slow since the images need exposure times of about a month. In 2023, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced that it was entering into partnerships with industry and academic researchers in order to produce these particles. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Muons for Science and Security program provided funding for the project, which involves high-energy particle physics, plasma physics, advanced numerical simulations, high-performance computing, systems, and systems engineering. The project also included collaboration with the University of Maryland and Lockheed Martin. This week, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) announced that, in cooperation with Ideon Technologies, it obtained funding from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy as part of the Reliable Ore Characterization with Keystone Sensing (ROCKS) initiative. Ideon Technologies is a leading company in the fields of muon tomography and advanced data fusion for use in mineral exploration and mining, including having proprietary muon detector arrays, physics simulations, and geological software. The software converts the raw data into 3D mass-density visualizations, allowing geologists to "see" mineral deposits and structural anomalies at a meter-scale resolution. The three-year program aims to establish a reliable domestic supply of critical minerals - minerals that are essential for energy, industry and national security - by means of highly accurate imaging deep beneath the Earth's surface, a level of precision that conventional sensing techniques are unable to achieve. Douglas Schouten, Ideon's co-founder and chief technology officer, stresses that there is a need for faster and better methods if critical minerals are to be understood and developed for the resources society urgently requires. Because of this project, physics at a level higher than that of the world's largest particle accelerators will be able to take images of millions of cubic feet of rock in just a few hours rather than taking several months. By working with research organizations such as Berkeley Lab, Ideon is taking this cutting-edge capability out of the laboratory and combining it with advanced sensing and subatomic particles so that it can provide real benefits to the industries that society relies on. The project will create a highly penetrating and portable muon source and will assist the United States in keeping its leadership in critical mineral resources which are important for both energy and the economy by means of the technologies developed through pioneering research and development work. There is a need for faster and better methods if critical minerals are to be developed for the resources society urgently requires. Because of its vast experience in using detectors at high-energy particle colliders, the Physics Division at Berkeley Lab will supply the muon instrumentation and the particle-tracking diagnostics needed to optimize the muon beam. This project provides a exciting chance of converting decades of research into technology which addresses a major national requirement by providing reliable systems for producing the high-energy muons needed for practical subsurface imaging. This technology's potential goes well beyond mining; it might be used to detect underground voids, gaps, and caves, and would therefore offer important benefits to civil engineering and industrial safety, with consequences for national security and critical infrastructure. For many years Ideon Technologies has, in collaboration with the mining industry, made use of "passive" muons - muons which are produced when cosmic rays collide with atmospheric particles - in order to map up ore deposits and find out about the Earth's subsurface. Berkeley Lab has already demonstrated its ability to accelerate an electron beam with an energy of 10 giga-electron-volts in a single stage over a distance of 30 centimeters. The aim of the project is now to connect two stages of laser plasma accelerator, each having an energy of about 6 giga-electron volts, in order to obtain an acceleration of more than 12 giga-electron volts. Achieving success in this multi-stage proof of concept and reducing the associated risks will prove the technical feasibility of attaining the 30-gigaelectronvolt systems needed to penetrate 50 meters of rock and the 100-gigaelectronvolt systems capable of sensing through 150 meters.

Tint Fanatics expands offerings to meet rising demand for energy-efficient commercial window tinting in Salem. August 21, 2026 August 21, 2026 - Tint Fanatics, a locally owned window tinting company serving South and Central New Hampshire, has expanded its focus on commercial window tinting solutions for offices, retail spaces, restaurants, and other business properties. With more than 15 years of industry experience, the fully insured company provides commercial-grade window films designed to address concerns such as solar heat gain, glare, privacy, UV exposure, and building security. The expanded focus gives businesses evaluating commercial window tinting companies in Salem, NH access to a broader selection of films and installation options based on the needs of individual properties. The commercial service expansion reflects Tint Fanatics' broader range of window film applications for businesses throughout Merrimack and Rockingham counties. According to the company's website, its commercial services include films intended to reduce heat gain and glare, increase privacy while maintaining natural light, protect interior surfaces from UV exposure, and reinforce existing glass. Tint Fanatics is also an XPEL authorized dealer and offers free estimates for commercial projects. Businesses considering window film frequently look at energy use and occupant comfort when evaluating potential building improvements. Solar-control films are designed to limit the amount of solar heat entering through glazing, which may reduce cooling demand in buildings where windows contribute substantially to heat gain. Actual energy savings, however, depend on factors such as the existing glazing system, building orientation, climate, film specifications, window-to-wall ratio, and HVAC performance. Research provides context for the potential savings. A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report prepared in connection with U.S. General Services Administration research examined low-emissivity solar-control window film as a commercial-building retrofit. The research estimated that widespread application of the technology could produce energy savings equivalent to approximately 15% of total building HVAC energy compared with the existing U.S. commercial building stock under the modeled conditions. The researchers specifically noted that individual buildings could experience higher or lower savings depending on climate and window configuration. A separate commercial-building study published in Energy and Buildings similarly found that performance varied substantially according to the original glazing system, film type, and whether the film was installed on the interior or exterior of the glass. Tint Fanatics' commercial services are intended to give property owners options for addressing these building-specific conditions rather than assuming that every installation will produce the same results. Depending on the selected product and existing windows, solar-control film can reduce solar heat gain and glare, potentially lowering cooling requirements and helping maintain more consistent indoor temperatures. Any projected utility savings should therefore be evaluated using the specifications of the selected film and the characteristics of the individual building. UV protection is another consideration for commercial properties. Tint Fanatics offers window tinting intended to limit UV exposure to furniture, flooring, merchandise, and other interior materials. Reducing UV exposure can help address one contributor to fading and deterioration, although sunlight-related damage is also influenced by visible light, heat, material composition, and the amount of time items are exposed. As energy efficiency, glare management, privacy, UV protection, and glass security remain considerations for commercial property owners, window film provides one retrofit option that can be evaluated without replacing an entire glazing system. Businesses researching commercial window tinting companies in Salem, NH can consult Tint Fanatics about available film types, installation requirements, and product specifications to determine which applications are appropriate for their properties.

Harpur College welcomes Simons Empire Faculty Fellows in mathematics and physics. The four assistant professors' research is at the intersection of quantum materials and artificial intelligence. Left to right: Simons Empire Faculty Fellows Lebing Chen, Sammy Luo, Yahong Yang, and Kunyan Zhang. Image Credit: Provided photos. By Jennifer Micale August 20, 2026 This semester, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences welcomes a quartet of mathematicians and physicists, who will help establish Binghamton University as a major research center at the intersection of quantum science and artificial intelligence. The assistant professors are among the first class of Simons Empire Faculty Fellows in the SUNY system. Mathematicians Yahong Yang and Sammy Luo bring expertise in deep learning theory for partial differential equations and discrete mathematics, with applications for machine learning and optimization. Meanwhile, physicists Lebing Chen and Kunyan Zhang bring cutting-edge experimental capabilities in quantum materials discovery and ultrafast spectroscopy of light-matter interactions. Altogether, their publication record includes prestigious journals such as Science Advances, Nature Communications, and Physical Review X, as well as premier machine-learning venues. The Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International established the fellowship program to stimulate faculty hiring in mathematics and the sciences across New York state. Four tenure-track faculty members were hired at each of SUNY's University Centers, which include Binghamton, the State University of New York at Albany, Buffalo, and Stony Brook. Simons Foundation International provides funding to participating institutions, while the Simons Foundation administers the program. "I thank the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International for investing in SUNY's early-career faculty whose research shows promise in vital and emerging fields," said Binghamton University President Anne D'Alleva. "At Binghamton, our faculty are international leaders in topics including AI, quantum materials and sensing, and mathematics. The Simons Empire Faculty Fellows program provides essential support for their work as they make pathbreaking discoveries that shape our world." Earlier this year, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research, the first-ever independent artificial intelligence (AI) research center at any public university in the United States, will be established at Binghamton. The center will be used to develop technical tools that make AI safe to use in daily life and build upon the research of Binghamton faculty, who are using machine learning and data science to solve real-world challenges, from delivering better healthcare to improving information security. Previously a visiting assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Yang investigates the mathematical foundations of AI, focusing on neural network approximation, generalization analysis, and symmetry-informed learning models. "I am very excited to join Binghamton University and honored to be a Simons Faculty Fellow. I was especially inspired by the University's vision for AI and interdisciplinary collaboration," Yang said. "My research focuses on using mathematics to better understand AI and to help develop AI methods for applications in other fields, so I am excited to connect with researchers across campus and develop new collaborations through this fellowship." Zhang comes to Binghamton from the Chemistry Department at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on exploring the fundamental physics of nanoscale quantum systems using ultrafast and multidimensional spectroscopy. By integrating advanced spectroscopic technologies, quantum materials, and machine learning, she aims to develop energy-efficient technologies and next-generation sensing platforms. "I am excited to develop my research in the vibrant community at Binghamton University, and I look forward to opportunities to connect and collaborate with other Simons Empire Faculty Fellows at the frontiers of AI and quantum science," Zhang said. Chen comes to Binghamton from a postdoctoral appointment at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is an experimental condensed matter physicist whose research centers on the design, synthesis, and spectroscopic study of quantum materials, which exhibit properties typically not observed in simple materials or at room temperature, such as superconductivity. Prior to Binghamton, Luo was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He works in combinatorics and graph theory on the discrete structures that underlie modern learning systems, including frameworks relevant to quantum circuits and error correction. All four are part of a quantum-AI research cluster. Chen anchors the materials side of the experimental program, to which Zhang provides the optical, ultrafast, and photonics components. Yang anchors the AI program in theory, while Luo provides the discrete mathematical layer that connects the experimental and theoretical sides. "We are grateful to the Simons Foundation for making it possible for us to recruit four fantastic scholars. The ability to hire a cluster of faculty who address overlapping questions through very different approaches and perspectives has enabled Harpur College to build research strength with both depth and breadth," said Harpur College Dean Celia Klin. "These scholars are exciting additions to the departments of Physics and Mathematics and will enhance the education of the students who take their courses and work with them on their research."