OPTICS & OPTOELECTRONICS
Labs
- Computational Imaging
- Digital Metamaterials
- Overcoming the far-field diffraction limit
- Absorbance Modulation Optical Lithography (AMOL)
Yoon’s Research Group investigates the local properties of micro/nano structured systems at the length scales of relevant physical processes. Based on this fundamental knowledge, we develop exploratory devices in energy, optoelectronics, and chemical and biomedical applications. Our current research focuses on the development of in-situ, local measurement techniques using an electron beam and a focused light source. The versatile multi-probe approaches will elucidate structure-property relationship of a wide range of micro/nanomaterials and devices.
- neural photonics – using light to effect and/or record neural activity,
- plasmonic antennas for enhancing light matter interactions,
- photonic microsystem integration,
- optical properties of materials
- Manipulation and Characterization of Doping and Defects in b-Ga2O3 (AFOSR MURI)
- Simulation of defects in semiconductor devices
- MBE Growth of Cd3As2
- Using Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry to Monitor PV Arrays (DOE EERE)
- Electrical characterization of gamma and neutron radiation induced effects in GaN (DTRA)
- Group-V doping in CdTe & bulk compound semiconductor crystal growth
- Grain Boundaries and back contacts in thin film CdTe solar cells (NSF ECCS)
Design, analysis and fabrication of metamaterials in frequency ranges from megahertz to petahertz
We develop (opto)electronic devices in atomically-thin materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, complex oxides, topological insulators, and their heterostructures. We also study non-traditional transport phenomena such as electron-plasma waves and resonant-tunneling, and harness these into device applications. We also develop methods for the design of novel optical components and devices enabling extreme performance. Our main research interest is on the terahertz and far-infrared regions of the spectrum, but we are also interested in exploring materials and devices at RF, mid-IR, and UV frequencies.
The main research topic in our lab is the photonics and optoelectronics of nanomaterials and nanostructures, spanning fundamental research to applications in health, energy, imaging, sensing, computing and communication. Currently, our research focuses on (1) reconfigurable photonics, (2) strong and ultrastrong light-matter interaction, and (3) terahertz photonics and optoelectronics.
Faculty
Steve Blair
Professor
- Phone: 801-585-6157
- Email: blair@ece.utah.edu
- Office: MEB 3236
Optics and photonics: physics and applications of resonance phenomena and linear and nonlinear optical phenomena, specifically; resonance enhancement in fluorescence-based molecular transduction, kinetics of bi-molecular interactions, microfabricated optical biosensor array systems, design of periodic and aperiodic systems of artificial resonators, and plasmonics-nanophotonic systems based on metallic structures
Douglas Christensen
Professor
- Phone: 801-581-7859
- Email: christen@ece.utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2456
Fiberoptic and guided-wave sensors, especially those applicable to biomedical sensing, such as fluorescent immunosensors; numerical modeling of optical devices using finite-difference time-domain techniques, and ultrasound bioinstrumentation.
Weilu Gao
Assistant Professor
- Phone: 801-581-7054
- Email: weilu.gao@utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2122
Photonics, optoelectronics, nanomaterials, and nanostructures
Rajesh Menon
USTAR Professor
- Phone: 801-585-1058
- Email: rmenon@eng.utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2256
Optics and nanotechnology: absorbance modulation optical lithography, patterning via optical saturable transitions, optical nanoscopy, and ultra-high frequency solar energy via a nanostructured polychromatic concentrator
Mike Scarpulla
Professor
- Phone: 801-585-1231
- Email: scarpulla@eng.utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2138
Semiconductors and photovoltaics: earth-abundant, benign compound semiconductors for thin film photovoltaics such as Cu2ZnSnS4. Other sulfide semiconductors for PV, light management for thin film PV, CIGS, laser processing of semiconductors, and the physics of semiconductor alloys and transition metal and rare earth additions to semiconductors.
David Schurig
Associate Professor
- Email: david.schurig@utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2274
Metamaterials: Design, analysis and fabrication of metamaterials in frequency ranges from megahertz to petahertz. Transformation design of devices implementable with metamaterials. Applications include: remote sensing, near-field imaging, biological imaging, implantable devices, electro-mechanical devices and invisibility cloaking.
Berardi Sensale-Rodriguez
Associate Professor
- Phone: 801-585-5657
- Email: berardi.sensale@utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2134
EM and optics: terahertz technology, high frequency electronics, two dimensional materials, active metamaterials, plasmonics, and nanophotonics
Heayoung Yoon
Associate Professor
- Phone: 801-585-0334
- Email: heayoung.yoon@utah.edu
- Office: MEB 2132
Solar energy conversion, NanoEngineering: Engineering micro/nanomaterials to enhance device performance and functionality in the fields of solar energy conversion, advanced nanoelectronics, and 3D hybrid imaging at nanoscale