Condensed Matter Physics Commons^™

Emulating Condensed Matter Systems In Classical Wave Metamaterials, Matthew Weiner

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

One of the best tools we have for the edification of physics is the analogy. When we take our classical set of states and dynamical variables in phase space and treat them as vectors and Hermitian operators respectively in Hilbert space through the canonical quantization, we lose out on a lot of the intuition developed with the previous classical physics. With classical physics, through our own experiences and understanding of how systems should behave, we create easy-to-understand analogies: we compare the Bohr model of the atom to the motion of the planets, we compare electrical circuits to the flow of …

Control Of Molecular Energetics And Transport Via Strong Light-Matter Interaction, Rong Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Strong light-matter coupling in excitonic systems results in the formation of half-light half-matter quasiparticles called exciton polaritons. These hybrid quasiparticles take on the best of both systems, namely, the long-range propagation and coherence arising from the photonic component and the nonlinear interaction from the excitonic component. We develop methods for making high quality factor cavities and investigate the potential applications of these strongly coupled states arising specifically in organic molecular systems.

In the first project we investigate the potential of organic dye molecules to undergo condensation in an optical cavity at room temperature. The second study involves the use of …

Free Charge Carrier Properties In Two-Dimensional Materials And Monoclinic Oxides Studied By Optical Hall Effect, Sean Knight

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this dissertation, optical Hall effect (OHE) measurements are used to determine the free charge carrier properties of important two-dimensional materials and monoclinic oxides. Two-dimensional material systems have proven useful in high-frequency electronic devices due to their unique properties, such as high mobility, which arise from their two-dimensional nature. Monoclinic oxides exhibit many desirable characteristics, for example low-crystal symmetry which could lead to anisotropic carrier properties. Here, single-crystal monoclinic gallium oxide, an AlInN/GaN-based high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) structure, and epitaxial graphene are studied as examples. To characterize these material systems, the OHE measurement technique is employed. The OHE is a physical …

Development Of Co2 Laser-Heating For The Study Of Wide Band Gap Oxide Materials, Christian Matthew Childs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The ability to access a vast region of the pressure-temperature landscape using energy density tuning enables exotic states of matter to be probed. A well documented method for such exploration, under static conditions, is the use of the laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC), accessing a combination of high pressure (>300 GPa) and high temperature (>5000 K). This thesis presents our development of direct CO2 laser heating techniques to study a series of wide band gap insulators, La2Sn2O7, ZrO2, and CeO2, under high pressure conditions. The lasing frequency of CO2 lasers is such that these wide band gap materials …

Mid-Ir Optical Refrigeration And Radiation Balanced Lasers, Saeid Rostami

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

This dissertation reports recent advances in mid-infrared (mid-IR) optical refrigeration and Radiation Balanced Lasers (RBLs). The first demonstration of optical refrigeration in Ho:YLF and Tm:YLF crystals as promising mid-IR laser cooling candidates is reported. Room temperature laser cooling efficiency of Tm- and Ho-doped crystals at different excitation polarization is measured and their external quantum efficiency and background absorption are extracted. Complete characterization of laser cooling samples is obtained via performing detailed low-temperature spectroscopic analysis, and their minimum achievable temperature as well as conditions to achieve laser cooling efficiency enhancement in mid-IR are investigated. By developing a Thulium-doped fiber amplifier, seeded …

Electrodynamics Modeling Of Plasmonic-Organic Hybrid Waveguides, Marcus Michel

Pomona Senior Theses

Optical fibers have multiple advantages over conventional electrical connections, such as lower energy losses and higher bandwidth. To use optics for chip-to-chip communication, electro-optic (EO) modulators need to be scaled down to be incorporated on integrated circuits. This size reduction has been accomplished using plasmonic-organic hybrid (POH) waveguides, which make use of nonlinear organic EO materials and surface plasmon polaritons to achieve light modulation in devices with lengths on the micron scale. As these devices are just starting to be developed, there are many avenues for their potential optimization. In order to streamline and reduce the cost of the optimization …

Ultrafast Optical Properties Of La0.7sr0.3mno3 Thin Films, Saeed Yousefi Sarraf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Thin film solids often exhibit different physical properties in the ultra-thin regime. Enhancement of surface to bulk ratio results in the domination of surface/interface related phenomena such as surface recombination. Moreover, in the ultra-thin regime, quantum size and quantum confinement effects can alter the band gap of the system and constrain the strain wave propagation in the thin film. Ultrafast properties of solids can also be drastically altered in the ultra-thin regime due to the aforementioned phenomena. Experimentally, observation of these phenomena is challenging due to the insufficient material to absorb and interact with the electromagnetic wave. This dissertation addresses …