SANTA FE, N.M. - U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (N.M.-03) announced that UbiQD, LLC, a New Mexico-based quantum dot manufacturer, was awarded a $225,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The 12-month grant award will help fund research and development of luminescent solar concentrating glass windows with quantum dot coatings. In July, the company expanded its license to include the proof-of-concept work on this technology, originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
"UbiQD's cutting-edge work in solar tech is an example of New Mexico's leadership in solar and renewable energy technology," said Udall. "By supporting this kind of innovative work and technology transfer from our national labs, we can help our state build a strong high-tech sector and create thousands of well-paying jobs. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I'm proud to fight for resources to further research and development and stimulate innovation, and I will continue to use my position to help propel New Mexico researchers and entrepreneurs forward."
"This new investment will further important research at UbiQD to strengthen the intersection of solar energy and advanced materials such as nanoparticles," said Heinrich. "It's another great example of how technology developed at our national laboratories can spur industry and create jobs here at home. New Mexico, with its abundant solar resources, can and should be at the epicenter of America's clean energy economy. I will continue to do all I can to ensure this becomes a reality."
"Between New Mexico's national labs and innovative startups, our state is on the cutting edge in the renewable energy field," said Luján. "UbiQD is one of the companies that are pushing the boundaries, turning advancements at the lab into innovations that create new business ventures and good jobs in our communities. This federal grant will support research and development that has the potential to further make New Mexico a leader in solar energy, and I will continue to advocate for investments that grow this important sector."
Until now, UbiQD has broadly explored potential markets for its patented technology, including lighting, security, design, and safety applications; earlier this month the company was issued a patent for "quantum dot security inks." With this new award and other recent developments, however, the company will focus its efforts primarily on solar energy.
UbiQD has filed several new patents this year, including one related to sunlight-harvesting safety glass windows. Previously based out of the New Mexico Consortium, in July UbiQD began operating from a newly renovated Los Alamos-based facility. The 9,000-square-foot space allows for scale-up of manufacturing and continued expansion.
UbiQD is a nanotechnology company that manufactures inexpensive, low-hazard quantum dots and nanocomposites in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Quantum dots are particularly advantageous for many applications due to their bright and strongly size-tunable color of photoluminescence-they glow under light-and compatibility with liquid solution processing, which enables low-cost manufacturing techniques. Spun out of technology developed at LANL, the company envisions a future where quantum dots are ubiquitous in a wide spectrum of applications. Today UbiQD supplies materials for development of new products in lighting, solar, security, safety, and other markets.
