How do you measure something almost impossible to detect

Magnets are used in everything from cars to computers. But some advanced materials produce magnetic fields so short-range and fleeting that today's sensors cannot get close enough to measure them, leaving researchers unable to fully understand how those materials work or how to harness them for new technologies.

With support from the National Science Foundation, the University of Delaware's Chitraleema Chakraborty is exploring fundamental principles for magnetic sensing at scales of just a few billionths of a meter. The $500,000 award is part of NSF's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program, which supports early-career faculty poised to lead in both research and education.

"This award is the result of many people's work," said Chakraborty, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering. She credits her mentors, students and programs such as UD's NSF CAREER Proposal Academy.

She plans to pay that forward by incorporating student training and community outreach into the five-year project as she and her team lay the foundation for future sensor technologies that could one day advance fields from biomedical imaging to wearable devices.