Semiconductor and Optical Materials Commons^™

Investigation Of Optical And Structural Properties Of Gesn Heterostructures, Oluwatobi Gabriel Olorunsola

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon (Si)-based optoelectronics have gained traction due to its primed versatility at developing light-based technologies. Si, however, features indirect bandgap characteristics and suffers relegated optical properties compared to its III-V counterparts. III-Vs have also been hybridized to Si platforms but the resulting technologies are expensive and incompatible with standard complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor processes. Germanium (Ge), on the other hand, have been engineered to behave like direct bandgap material through tensile strain interventions but are well short of attaining extensive wavelength coverage. To create a competitive material that evades these challenges, transitional amounts of Sn can be incorporated into Ge matrix to form …

Hybrid Two Dimensional Quantum Devices, Joshua Patrick Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes measurements on hybrid material systems involving two dimensional (2D) materials and phenomena along with the development of a small, hermetically sealed cell. The hermetic cell is designed to assist with analyzing sensitive 2D materials outside of an inert environment. When working with van der Waals materials that are especially sensitive to oxygen or water, it can be difficult to identify usable thin flakes without exposing them to air. To help preserve materials for analysis in air, a capsule was designed that isolates the material in an inert environment. Although the capsule is hermetically sealed, the encapsulated material …

Two-Dimensional Black Phosphorus For Terahertz Emission And Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer, Mahmudul Hasan Doha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The main focus of this work is to investigate two potential optical and optoelectronic applications of black phosphorus (BP): the near-field radiative heat transfer in plasmonic heterostructures with graphene and terahertz emission from multi-layer BP photoconductive antennas. When the separation distance between graphene-black phosphorene is much smaller than or comparable to the thermal wavelength at different temperatures, a near-field radiation heat transfer breaks the Planck blackbody limit. The magnitude of the near-field radiation enhancement acutely depends on the gate voltage, doping, and vacuum gap of the graphene and BP pair. The strong near-field radiation heat transfer enhancement of the specific …

Interferometric Lithography- An Approach To Large Area And Cost Effective Nanopatterning, Vineeth Sasidharan

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

In this dissertation interferometric lithography is approached in two different ways to address two important constraints of nanopatterning. One approach solves the problem of scaling up interferometric lithography to wafer scale (4 inch or larger) area. Through the second approach we have developed a nanopatterning technique based on interferometric lithography by using an inexpensive (~$100) diode laser as source, making interferometric lithography a very cost-effective technique.

Wafer-scale large-area nanopatterning was developed using an amplitude grating mask as a grating beam splitter along with spatial averaging of laser intensity by wobbling. The longitudinal and transverse coherence issues both are eased by …

Optically Active Selenium Vacancies In Baga4Se7 Crystals, Brian C. Holloway, Timothy D. Gustafson, Christopher A. Lenyk, Nancy C. Giles, Kevin T. Zawilski, Peter G. Schunemann, Kent L. Averett, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

Barium gallium selenide (BaGa₄Se₇) is a recently developed nonlinear optical material with a transmission window extending from 470 nm to 17 μm. A primary application of these crystals is the production of tunable mid-infrared laser beams via optical parametric oscillation. Unintentional point defects, such as selenium vacancies, cation vacancies (barium and/or gallium), and trace amounts of transition-metal ions, are present in BaGa₄Se₇ crystals and may adversely affect device performance. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and optical absorption are used to identify and characterize these defects. Five distinct EPR spectra, each representing an electron …

Method Of Making Temperature-Immune Self-Referencing Fabry–Pérot Cavity Sensors, Hengky Chandrahalim, Jonathan W. Smith

AFIT Patents

A method of making passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) sensor includes forming a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure on a cleaved tip of an optical fiber that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber. The reflected light is altered by refractive index changes in the three-dimensional structure that is subject to at least one of: (i) thermal radiation; and (ii) volatile organic compounds.

Numerical Calculation Of Losses Of Trapped Vortices Under Strong Rf Meissner Current And Dc Superheating Field In Type Ii Superconductors, Walive Pathiranage Manula Randhika Pathirana

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Research on the vortex dynamics and enhancing of superheating field in superconductors has attracted much attention in accelerator physics community to develop next-generation high-performance accelerator cavities. However, the extreme dynamics of curvilinear elastic vortices driven by very strong currents close to the depairing limit or superheating field of a superconductor with a nanostructured surface has not been well understood. We calculated the superheating field H_sh and critical momentum kc characterizing the wavelength of the instability λ_m of the Meissner state to flux penetration by solving numerically the Ginzburg-Landau equations. A bulk superconductor, superconductor with the inhomogeneous surface disorder …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Photodetector Devices Based On Nanostructured Materials: Graphene And Colloidal Nanocrystals, Wafaa Gebril

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Photodetectors are devices that capture light signals and convert them into electrical signals. High performance photodetectors are in demand in a variety of applications, such as optical communication, security, and environmental monitoring. Among many appealing nanomaterials for novel photodetection devices, graphene and semiconductor colloidal nanocrystals are promising candidates because of their desirable and unique properties compared to conventional materials.

Photodetector devices based on different types of nanostructured materials including graphene and colloidal nanocrystals were investigated. First, graphene layers were mechanically exfoliated and characterized for device fabrication. Self-powered few layers graphene phototransistors were studied. At zero drain voltage bias and room …

Simulation Of Optical Properties Of Dielectric Layers From Visible To Near Infrared Spectral Range, Andrew Cochran, Cory Conkel

ONU Student Research Colloquium

Optical properties of dielectrics play a critical role in various applications including the design and manufacture of optical components & devices such as detectors, filters, imagers, lenses, optical coatings, photonic crystals, sensors and waveguides, and solar cells. Radiative properties of varying thicknesses of different dielectrics such as Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3), Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Magnesium Fluoride (MgF2) and Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) have been simulated and compared in the range of visible to near infrared by mathematical modelling using MATLAB simulations. The results of the evolution of the radiative properties, as a function of dielectric material thickness, on …

Temperature-Immune Self-Referencing Fabry–Pérot Cavity Sensors, Hengky Chandrahalim, Jonathan W. Smith

AFIT Patents

A passive microscopic Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) sensor an optical fiber a three-dimensional microscopic optical structure formed on a cleaved tip of an optical fighter that reflects a light signal back through the optical fiber. The reflected light is altered by refractive index changes in the three-dimensional structure that is subject to at least one of: (i) thermal radiation; and (ii) volatile organic compounds.

Nanoengineered Materials For Energy Conversion & Storage Applications: A Density Functional Theory Study, Ahmed Biby

Theses and Dissertations

The conventional approach for the development of novel materials has become long relative to the desired product development cycle. Thus, the sluggish pace of the development of materials within the conventional approach hinders the rapid transformation of the scientific outcomes into useful technological products. To this end, the field of hierarchical materials informatics evolved to bridge this gap. In this field, the multiscale material internal structure is considered the starting point and the core of this approach. This being said, the density functional theory (DFT) was used to generate useful materials data for the advancement of the hierarchical materials data-bases …

Treated Hfo2 Based Rram Devices With Ru, Tan, Tin As Top Electrode For In-Memory Computing Hardware, Yuvraj Dineshkumar Patel

Theses

The scalability and power efficiency of the conventional CMOS technology is steadily coming to a halt due to increasing problems and challenges in fabrication technology. Many non-volatile memory devices have emerged recently to meet the scaling challenges. Memory devices such as RRAMs or ReRAM (Resistive Random-Access Memory) have proved to be a promising candidate for analog in memory computing applications related to inference and learning in artificial intelligence. A RRAM cell has a MIM (Metal insulator metal) structure that exhibits reversible resistive switching on application of positive or negative voltage. But detailed studies on the power consumption, repeatability and retention …

Epitaxial Growth Of Semi-Polar (11-22) Gallium Nitride For Uv Photosensing Application, Abdullah Haaziq Ahmad Makinudin

Student Works (2020-2029)

Semi-polar (11-22) gallium nitride (GaN) epilayers have attracted numerous interests in GaN based technology as it possess significant advantages over its polar (c-plane) counterparts such as low to none spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization which is known to impair the device performance. However, growth along semi-polar (11-22) orientation has been known to exhibit numerous defect densities such as dislocations and stacking faults (SFs). In order to acquire high quality semi-polar (11-22) GaN epilayers, various growth optimizations must be employed. In this work, the semi-polar (11-22) GaN epilayers were grown on planar m-plane sapphire substrate with the use of a 2-inch capability …

Kinetic Monte Carlo Investigations Involving Atomic Layer Deposition Of Metal-Oxide Thinfilms, David Tyler Magness

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Atomic Layer Deposition is a method of manufacturing thin film materials. Metal-oxides such as zinc-oxide and aluminum-oxide are particularly interesting candidates for use in microelectronic devices such as tunnel junction barriers, transistors, Schottky diodes, and more. By adopting a 3D Kinetic Monte Carlo model capable of simulating ZnO deposition, the effect of parameters including deposition temperature, chamber pressure, and composition of the initial substrate at the beginning of deposition can be investigated. This code generates two random numbers: One is used to select a chemical reaction to occur from a list of all possible reactions and the second is used …

Schottky And Poole-Frenkel Conduction Mechanisms In Zron/Sic System, Lusus Vanessa

Student Works (2020-2029)

In this work, the conduction mechanisms of Schottky Emission (SE) and Poole–Frenkel (PF) Emission for the ZrON/SiC system with a temperature range between 400 oC to 900 oC were analyzed. Understanding of the conduction charge mechanisms will help to estimate leakage characteristics of the ZrON/SiC system. Based on the J-E plot measured at different temperatures for 15 minutes, the obtained r2 was ranged between 0.90–0.98, which confirmed the data obtained complied with the standard SE model. Furthermore, the data plotted from the Effective Barrier Height Extracted from the SE plot showed the highest values of

Artificial Neural Network Discovery Of A Switchable Metasurface Reflector, J. R. Thompson, J. A. Burrow, P. J. Shah, Jonathan E. Slagle, E. S. Harper, A. Van Rynbach, I. Agha, M. S. Mills

Student Publications

Optical materials engineered to dynamically and selectively manipulate electromagnetic waves are essential to the future of modern optical systems. In this paper, we simulate various metasurface configurations consisting of periodic 1D bars or 2D pillars made of the ternary phase change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). Dynamic switching behavior in reflectance is exploited due to a drastic refractive index change between the crystalline and amorphous states of GST. Selectivity in the reflection and transmission spectra is manipulated by tailoring the geometrical parameters of the metasurface. Due to the immense number of possible metasurface configurations, we train deep neural networks capable of exploring …

Performance Of Pld Grown Zno Thin Film As A Thin Film Transistor, Shahidul Asif

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The performance of ZnO thin film (grown in different parameters) as a thin film transistor (TFT) is the focus of this study. ZnO is renowned for being n-type semiconductor naturally which was utilized in fabricating a thin film transistor here. This thesis is compared the performance of ZnO thin film transistor by growing the thin film using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on two slightly different substrates at different temperatures in an optimal 0.1 milli bar oxygen pressure which was later analyzed using other material characterization methods. The substrates were both Si (100) but had different resistivity due to different amount …

Demonstration Of A Distributed Bragg Reflector For Polyvinylcarbazole And Cadmium Sulfide Layers: Modeling And Comparison To Experimental Results, Javier E. Hasbun, L. Ajith Desilva

Georgia Journal of Science

Light wave propagation in a periodically stratified medium has many applications in physics, mathematics, and engineering. The subject is of interest to students, teachers, and researchers, as it presents a great opportunity to focus on principles of optics and to understand the basics of mathematical modeling. A complete theory of wave propagation can be derived using Born’s optics theory. We employed that theory to determine the reflectivity of a one-dimensional distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) and do simulations using MATLAB. A DBR is a photonic crystal consisting of alternating layers of materials with different refractive indices. In this study, we modeled …

Fabrication Of Nanoscale Columnar Diodes By Glancing Angle Deposition, Jacob D. Weightman

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Glancing angle deposition (GLAD) is a process in which thin films are deposited onto a substrate with obliquely incident vapor together with precisely controlled azimuthal substrate rotation. Ballistic shadowing effects due to the oblique incidence produce nanoscale structures, and a variety of feature shapes, including tilted columns, helices, and vertical columns can be achieved by varying the azimuthal rotation during the deposition process. Due to this control of morphology and the compatibility of the process with a wide variety of materials, GLAD films have found applications in a variety of fields including sensing, photonics, photovoltaics, and catalysis, where they are …

Optically Pumped Spin Polarization As A Probe Of Many-Body Thermalization, Daniela Pagliero, Pablo R. Zangara, Jacob Henshaw, Ashok Ajoy, Rodolfo H. Acosta, Jeffrey A. Reimer, Alexander Pines, Carlos A. Meriles

Publications and Research

Disorder and many body interactions are known to impact transport and thermalization in competing ways, with the dominance of one or the other giving rise to fundamentally different dynamical phases. Here we investigate the spin diffusion dynamics of ¹³C in diamond, which we dynamically polarize at room temperature via optical spin pumping of engineered color centers. We focus on low-abundance, strongly hyperfine-coupled nuclei, whose role in the polarization transport we expose through the integrated impact of variable radio-frequency excitation on the observable bulk ¹³C magnetic resonance signal. Unexpectedly, we find good thermal contact throughout the nuclear spin bath, …

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 …

Experimental Determination Of The (0/−) Level For Mg Acceptors In Β-Ga2O3 Crystals, Christopher A. Lenyk, Timothy D. Gustafson, Sergey A. Basun, Larry E. Halliburton, Nancy C. Giles

Faculty Publications

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to experimentally determine the (0/−) level of the Mg acceptor in an Mg-doped β-Ga₂O₃ crystal. Our results place this level 0.65 eV (±0.05 eV) above the valence band, a position closer to the valence band than the predictions of several recent computational studies. The crystal used in this investigation was grown by the Czochralski method and contains large concentrations of Mg acceptors and Ir donors, as well as a small concentration of Fe ions and an even smaller concentration of Cr ions. Below room temperature, illumination with 325 nm laser light …

The Design Of A Continuous Wave Molecular Nitrogen Stimulated Raman Laser In The Visible Spectrum, Timothy J. Bate

Theses and Dissertations

Hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs) shows promise as a hybrid laser with higher nonlinear process limits and small beam size over long gain lengths. This work focuses on the design of a CW molecular nitrogen (N₂) stimulated Raman laser. N₂ offers Raman gains scaling up to 900 amg, scaling higher than H₂. The cavity experiment showed the need to include Rayleigh scattering in the high pressure required for N₂ Raman lasing. Even at relatively low pressure ssuch as 1,500 psi, high conversion percentages should be found if the fiber length is chosen based on …

Ii-Vi Type-Ii Quantum Dot Superlattices For Novel Applications, Vasilios Deligiannakis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this thesis, we discuss the growth procedure and the characterization results obtained for epitaxially grown submonolayer type-II quantum dot superlattices made of II-VI semiconductors. We have investigated the spin dynamics of ZnSe layers with embedded type-II ZnTe quantum dots and the use of (Zn)CdTe/ZnCdSe QDs for intermediate band solar cell (IBSC). Samples with a higher quantum dot density exhibit longer electron spin lifetimes, up to ~1 ns at low temperatures. Tellurium isoelectronic centers, which form in the ZnSe spacer regions as a result of the growth conditions, were also probed. A new growth sequence for type-II (Zn)CdTe/ZnCdSe (QDs) was …

Gravity-Drawing Flexible Silicone Filaments As Fiber Optics And Model Foldamers, Katherine Snell

CMC Senior Theses

Here, we present a method of gravity-drawing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone fibers with application as fiber optics and as model foldamers. Beginning as a viscous liquid, PDMS is cured using heat until its measured viscosity reaches 4000 mPa•s. The semi-cured elastomer is then extruded through a tube furnace to produce thin (diameters on the order of hundred micrometers) filaments with scalable lengths. PDMS is biocompatible, gas-permeable, flexible, and hydrophobic. Additionally, the PDMS surface hydrophobicity can be modified via UV exposure, O2 plasma, and corona discharge. We demonstrate the patternibility (i.e patterns of hydrophobicity) of PDMS fibers, adding complexity to potential foldamer …

Magnetism In Γ-Fesi2 Nanostructures: A First Principles Study, Sahil Dhoka

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

First-principles calculations are performed on γ-FeSi₂ nanostructures grown on Si (111) and (001) substrate. An attempt to explain the origin of emergent magnetic properties of the metastable gamma phase of iron di-silicide (γ-FeSi₂) is made, which show ferromagnetic behavior on nanoscale, unlike its possible bulk form. Many papers try to explain this magnetism from factors like bulk, epitaxial strain, interface, surface, edges, and corners but doesn’t provide an analytical study for these explanations. Density functional theory is used to analyze the magnetic effects of these factors. The results for the epitaxial structures show no magnetic behavior for …

Synthesis Of Graphene Using Plasma Etching And Atmospheric Pressure Annealing: Process And Sensor Development, Andrew Robert Graves

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Having been theorized in 1947, it was not until 2004 that graphene was first isolated. In the years since its isolation, graphene has been the subject of intense, world-wide study due to its incredibly diverse array of useful properties. Even though many billions of dollars have been spent on its development, graphene has yet to break out of the laboratory and penetrate mainstream industrial applications markets. This is because graphene faces a ‘grand challenge.’ Simply put, there is currently no method of manufacturing high-quality graphene on the industrial scale. This grand challenge looms particularly large for electronic applications where the …

Studies Of Initial Growth Of Gan On Inn, Alaa Alnami

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

III-nitride materials have recently attracted much attention for applications in both the microelectronics and optoelectronics. For optoelectronic devices, III-nitride materials with tunable energy band gaps can be used as the active region of devices to enhance the absorption or emission. A such material is indium nitride (InN), which along with gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminum nitride (AlN) embody the very real promise of forming the basis of a broad spectrum, a high efficiency solar cell. One of the remaining complications in incorporating InN into a solar cell design is the effects of the high temperature growth of the GaN crystal …

Deep Donors And Acceptors In Β-Ga2O3 Crystals: Determination Of The Fe2+/3+ Level By A Noncontact Method, Christopher A. Lenyk, Timothy D. Gustafson, Larry E. Halliburton, Nancy C. Giles

Faculty Publications

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), infrared absorption, and thermoluminescence (TL) are used to determine the Fe^2+/3+ level in Fe-doped β-Ga₂O₃ crystals. With these noncontact spectroscopy methods, a value of 0.84 ± 0.05 eV below the conduction band is obtained for this level. Our results clearly establish that the E2 level observed in deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) experiments is due to the thermal release of electrons from Fe²⁺ ions. The crystals used in this investigation were grown by the Czochralski method and contained large concentrations of Fe acceptors and Ir donors, and trace amounts of Cr …

Nonlinear Characterizing Of A New Titanium Nitride On Aluminum Oxide Metalens, Michael A. Cumming

Theses and Dissertations

A sample metalens generated from Titanium Nitride deposited onto Aluminum Oxide was designed to focus at 10 microns with a beam centered at 800nm, and when analyzed with high intensity illumination was found to have a focal length of 9.650 ±.003µm at an intensity of 16.93[MW/cm² ]. Analyzing this change by comparing it to a Fresnel Lens’ physics shows that for this lens, the effective nonlinear index of refraction is certainly greater than the nonlinear index of just Titanium Nitride itself, at −1.6239 × 10⁻¹⁵[m²/W] compared to the materials −1.3 × 10⁻¹⁵[m^{2 …}