Interdisciplinary research is driving advances in clean energy and materials technology. AI-guided discovery at NJIT pursues sustainable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, addressing global demand for greener energy storage. Optical and photonic breakthroughs include quantum correlation-enhanced dual-comb spectroscopy yielding unprecedented precision and novel low-cost liquid optical waveguides designed to improve augmented reality device performance. These innovations represent critical steps toward energy sustainability and next-generation tech applications.