PIRE: U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research & Education: Ultrafast and Nonlinear Optics in 6.1-Angstrom Semiconductors

OISE-0530220 (Junichiro Kono, William Marsh Rice University)

PIRE: U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research and Education: Ultrafast and Nonlinear Optics in 6.1-Angstrom Semiconductors

Kono

This Partnership for International Research and Education, led by Junichiro Kono of Rice University, investigates the ultrafast and nonlinear optical properties of quantum structures based on the 6.1-angstrom (A) III-V semiconductors (InAs, GaSb, AlSb). These semiconductors are nearly lattice-matched (with lattice constant ~ 6.1 A) and can be epitaxially grown to form heterostructures. Though they possess promising properties for application in next-generation devices, there has been little exploration of their optical properties, especially in the time domain and at high laser intensities. Various optical spectroscopic methods will be used to study charge and spin dynamics. Such studies are not only expected to increase understanding of the states and dynamics of interacting electrons but also to provide new insight into which structures are optimum for specific applications. The project establishes a long-term partnership between Rice University, University of Florida and Texas A&M University in the U.S. and Osaka Institute of Technology and Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan. The international partnership focuses on the complementary research strengths of each side, with Japanese collaborators providing unique materials growth and processing capabilities. The project also involves a tiered program of education activities targeting students at different stages of their academic careers to attract young people to the emerging areas of electrical engineering and the physical sciences, especially nanotechnology. The cornerstone of the education activities will be a ten-week study and research internship program in Japan for graduate and undergraduate students from U.S. universities. The annual symposium INNOVATE US-Nanotechnology will reinforce the benefits of the Japan research internships for students on returning to the U.S. The annual international symposium INNOVATE Asia will provide an additional opportunity for students to examine the relationship between technology and globalization in a comparative perspective.