Alokik Kanwal (Fed)

Alokik Kanwal is a research scientist in the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division. He received his B.S. in electrical & computer engineering and physics and a Ph.D. in material science & engineering from Rutgers University. His doctoral work focused on creating all-organic memory devices utilizing C60 molecules and polymers. Alokik then became a postdoctoral fellow in the physics department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). There he worked on designing, fabricating and testing high density bio probe arrays using carbon nanotubes, which can enable real time sub-cellular imaging of both individual and groups of cells. He also designed and fabricated vibrationally-powered impact recorders for the Army. Later Alokik became an assistant research professor at NJIT, worked applying nanofabrication and nanoscience to solve problems in biophysics. His research focused on flow and pressure sensors to monitor shunt performance for hydrocephalous, nanoscale bio fuel cells, artificial pancreas sensors, nanoscope on a chip, tonometry to measure eye pressure and topological phonons. At NIST, Alokik is working with Alex Liddle on a liquid cell for in situ TEM and with other scientific staff with all phases of nanofabrication.

Selected Publications

• Evidence of An Application of a Variable MEMS Capacitive Sensor for Detecting Shunt Occlusions, D. J. Apigo, P. L. Bartholomew, T. Russell, A. Kanwal, R. C. Farrow, G. A. Thomas, Scientific Reports, 7, 46039 (2017) 
• Dynamical Majorana edge modes in a broad class of topological mechanical, E. Prodan, K. Dobiszewski, A. Kanwal, J. Palmieri, and C. Prodan,Nature Communications, 8, 14587 (2017)
• An Angstrom-sensitive, differential MEMS capacitor for monitoring the milliliter dynamics of fluids, D. J. Apigo, P. L. Bartholomew, T. Russell, A. Kanwal, R. C. Farrow, G. A. Thomas, Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 251, 234 (2016)