Faculty

K. S. Dy (Ph.D. Cornell, 1967) - Theory of electronic structure of solids, transport properties, amorphous materials, many-body techniques, surface physics.

Kian-Seng Dy carries out first-principle calculations of electronic states in small clusters of atoms. Among the systems he studies are clusters of mercury, galium phosphate, and zinc oxide impurity complexes.

D. Han (Ph.D. Gifu University, Japan, 1996). Properties of amorphous/microcrystalline silicon photovoltaic devices.

Daxing Han's research focuses on amorphous/microcrystalline silicon devices and she is a member of National Thin Film Photovoltaic (PV) Team. The team has made recently the first successful a-Si PV thin film. Han uses a variety of techniques including electroluminescence spectroscopy; photoconductivity spectroscopy, temperature dependence of conductivity, and a transient-null-current technique to measure internal electric profiles in thin film p-i-n diodes.

J. P. Hernandez (Ph.D. Rochester, 1967) - Theory of electron states in disordered media, localization, insulator-metal transition, statistical physics.

John P. Hernandez has research interests in theoretical aspects of electronic properties of disordered materials including fluids. He studies the insulator-metal transition and its influence on the vapor-liquid transition of metal-atom fluids; his calculations of material structure, thermodynamic, and electronic properties are used to propose experimental research and to interpret the results of such experiments.

Dmitri Khveshchenko (Ph.D. Moscow, 1989) - Quantum transport theory of disordered metals and superconductors, many-body effects in mesoscopic and nanoscale systems.

Dmitri Khveshchenko is primarily interested in properties of such strongly correlated electron systems as high temperature superconductors, low-density electron gas in semiconductor heterostructures, Quantum Hall effect, and novel (heavy-fermion and CMR) magnetic materials. In all of the above systems, a proper theoretical account of the electron correlations is needed to explain the wealth of experimentally observed transport anomalies. This task becomes particularly challenging in the case of electrons in nanostructures (quantum dots and wires, nanotubes, etc.) where gaining control over the interaction-limited quantum coherence is going to be crucial for future device applications.

J. P. Lu (Ph.D. CUNY, 1988) - Electronic and structural properties of novel materials and strongly correlated systems such as fullerenes and high Tc superconductors.

Jian Ping Lu's main research area is material theory. Many-body and computational techniques are used to investigate structures and properties of new materials ranging from carbon nanotubes to high temperature superconductors. He also conducts research in physics of biological systems such as the nonlinear complex dynamics of brains.

L. E. McNeil (Ph.D. Illinois, 1982) - Optical properties of disordered solids, Raman and Brillouin scattering and photoluminescence in semiconductors and insulators.

Laurie McNeil uses a variety of techniques including Raman scattering, optical absorption, photoluminescence and Brillouin scattering to examine semiconducting and insulating crystals, glasses, polymers, and thin films. She concentrates on optical studies of semiconductor heterostructures, phase transformations, and insulating and disordered materials.

N. R. Parikh (Ph.D. McMaster, 1985) - Application of ion beams for materials modification and characterization of semiconductor devices.

Nalin R. Parikh focuses on ion-solid interactions such as ion implantation, Rutherford backscattering (RBS)/ion channeling, Particle Induced X-rays Emission (PIXE), Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERA) and Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP)-as applied to thin films of silicides, oxides, nitrides, borides, and semiconductors in general. Projects include: i) doping of high band gap materials like diamonds, GaN to make them P and/or e-type conductors; ii) improving near surface heavy impurity detection by a charge energy filter technique; iii) improving near surface depth resolution in elastic recoil detection analysis using deflecting electric and magnetic fields; iv) creating micron-size systems for Micro Electro-Mechanical applications by implantation lift-off of diamond structures; v) studying nucleation and growth of homo-epitaxial and heteroepitaxial films in electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma system.

L. G. Rowan (Ph.D. Berkeley, 1963) - Transient resonance and relaxation experiments on systems in the microwave and infrared frequency domains.

Larry G. Rowan is interested in the study of paramagnetic point defects in insulating and semiconducting crystals. His experimental technique is electron paramagnetic resonance using continuous wave spectrometry, electron-nuclear double resonance spectrometry, and pulsed spin-echo envelope modulation spectrometry. Systems being studied include self-trapped holes in silver chloride, X-ray induced defects in silicon dioxide, natural and radiation-induced defects in diamond, and radiation-induced defects in silicon carbide.

B. Stoner (Ph.D. North Carolina State University, 1993) - Properties of thin film materials, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

Brian Stoner is presently studying plasma enhanced vapor phase reactions on the structure and properties of thin flim materials. Utilizing both microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and RF-Magnetron enhanced physical vapor deposition he studies the relationships between gas phase environments and the structure and synthesis of thin film solids. Current focus is on the synthesis of both nano-scale carbon-based fullerene structures via plasma enhanced CVD and the deposition and characterization of piezoelectric thin films for acoustic wave generation and sensor applications.

R. Superfine (Ph.D. Berkeley, 1991) - Properties of surfaces and interfaces using linear and nonlinear optical techniques, scanning tunneling, atomic force and near field optical microscopes; interfacial ordering and dynamics of molecules, polymers, polypeptides and nanometer-sized metal and semiconductor clusters.

Richard Superfine studies the properties of surfaces and interfaces using nonlinear optical techniques, atomic force and near field optical microscopy. Current research is on the interfacial ordering and properties of molecules, polymers, nanometer-sized metal and semiconductor clusters, viruses and cells. With the Computer Science Department, we have developed a Virtual-Reality enhanced interface for scanning probe microscopy, the "nanomanipulator."

F. Tsui (Ph.D. Illinois, 1992) - Atomic scale materials synthesis and characterization using molecular beam epitaxy techniques, electron diffraction and scanning probe microscopy.

Frank Tsui is an expert in metal molecular-beam-epitaxy, the only method to grow commensurate lattice-matched layers of different materials. His research specialties include surface studies (including in situ electron diffraction and scanning probe microscopy on the growing films, susceptibility and transport of giant-magnetoresistance materials, and tailoring of materials to achieve certain desired properties.

S. Washburn (Ph.D. Duke, 1982) - Effects of quantum-mechanical coherence in charge transport in small systems; ballistic transport in semiconductors; control of industrial plasmas; conductivity in polymers; scanning probe lithography.

Sean Washburn: The research themes center around studies of quantum effects (eg interference of electrons) in in nanometer-scale electrical devices of conventional semiconductors and exotic materials (such as carbon nanotubes).

Y. Wu (Ph.D. Leuven, 1987) - NMR studies of confined systems, quasicrystals, and polymers.

Yue Wu is interested in developing and applying novel NMR techniques in the study of noncrystalline materials including quasicrystals, semiconductor nanocrystals, and polymers. The anomalous electronic states and lattice dynamics of quasicrystals are investigated at high temperatures. He also studies the structure of semiconductor nanocrystals, the quantum-confinement effect on the electronic states, and the melting process in semiconductor nanocrystals. Another area of study is the nature of molecular motion near the glass transition temperature in high temperature polymers.

O. Zhou (Ph.D. Univ. of Pennsylvania, 1992) - material synthesis & characterization.

Otto Zhou's research centers around synthesis, characterization & understanding of the properties of novel solid state materials. His aim is to design new materials with the desired macroscopic properties - such as fullerides with high superconducting transition temperatures, semiconductors with wide band-gaps, and battery materials with high energy densities - from the microscopic level.