Those involved say the Center for Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research, one of six initiatives around the country, will explore the field of "photonics," the fundamental science of exploiting light.

UW chemistry professor Larry Dalton will run the center. Dalton says the center hopes to pioneer ultra-fast information processing technology that will impact everything from defense to transportation to home electronics. Dalton is known for his work on "opto-chips." The microscopic devices can change electronic signals into light signals that travel 10 times faster than the best semiconductor chips.

Under the center proposal, the new center will work in partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Southern California, Caltech and the University of Arizona.