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Research
Projects at the Center for Materials Research (CMR), NSU
Synthesis of Transparent Gain Ceramics and Optical
Composites. Processing techniques for nanosized powders of laser materials
and other optical and magnetic oxides are being developed based on reactive
precipitation and pyrolitic decomposition. Both physical and chemical properties
of nanopowders are quite different from bulk properties. Due to their high
reactivity, nanopowders will be used as precursors in the synthesis of transparent
laser ceramics and optical composites. This holds promise for the development
of many compounds with attractive optoelectronic properties that are not
feasible to produce otherwise.
[Dr. Yuri Barnakov]
Development of nano- and supramolecular organic
materials for opto-electronic devices. This project focuses on developing
lightweight, flexible shape, and inexpensive thin film type photovoltaic
devices based on the following materials. (a) Polymer thin films with bicontinuous
nanophase separated block copolymer systems containing donor and acceptor
phases such as derivatized polythiophene compounds. (b) Hybrid organic or
polymeric/inorganic photovoltaic thin film materials. The photovoltaic materials
find its key applications in solar (or light) energy conversion on earth
and in space flight missions. For instance, solar panes are the main power
sources for manmade satellites and space station. For human beings on earth,
solar energy is an unlimited an non-polluting energy source. The polymeric
nonlinear optical materials are critical for future high-speed photonic signal
processing devices and information superhighway development.
[Dr. Sam Sun]
Development of Organic Molecular Beam Deposition
(OMBD) Technique for processing of organic nano-layered structures. Organic
thin films hold great promise for high-speed optical computing applications,
for investigating fundamental optical properties of photonic band structures,
and as new quantum well structures. We concentrate on hetero-epitaxy of single
crystal organic materials with nonlinear optical properties on silicon and
investigation of the effect of the preparation of the Si surface in those
NLO properties.
The research interests of the Bonner group include hetero-epitaxy of single
crystal organic materials with nonlinear optical properties on silicon and
observation of the effect of the preparation of the Si surface on those NLO
properties using IR-vibrational spectroscopies to identify vibrational modes
of Si surface and the organic molecular absorbate and compare them to layers
on Si surface. Once these modes are identified, surface-molecule interaction
modes will be determined subtraction of the free molecule and substrate vibrational
spectra. The eventual objective is to identify the surface molecule interaction
energies to observe intramolecular vibrational relaxation as a method of
energy storage in the molecule on the substrate surface and define the relationship
between intramolecular vibrations and the disposal of energy at the surface.
This is expected to lead to improvements in the layered growth of van Deer
Waals crystals onto semiconductor substrates. The other main research interest
of the group is the design and characterization of the molecular and macroscopic
second hyperpolarizability based properties, two-photon absorption and nonlinear
refractive index, in a range of substituted thiacyanine dyes. This project
involves the investigation and development of novel and improved asymmetric
and symmetric organic charge transfer chromophores for potential applications
in two photon absorption (TPA), reverse saturable absorption (RSA) and related
materials and devices.
[Dr. Carl E. Bonner]
The research in the Electron Spin Resonance
(ERS) laboratory are focused on the investigation of magnetic properties
of inorganic and organic materials for photonics and spin electronics applications.
For new inorganic materials synthesized in CMR, the ERS facilities are utilized
to understand changes in charge and spin states of transition metal dopants
that are responsible for unique photonic properties of these materials. The
ESR method is extensively used for characterization of organic and metal-organic
materials, where charge and electron spin dynamics are parts of photonics
and electronics device applications. We also plan to study incorporation
of metallic particles and metal-organic complexes into polymers to obtain
materials with new and improved mechanical durability, thermal and radiation
resistance, conductivity, and magnetic sensing.
[Dr. Rakhim Rakhimov]
Research in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
Laboratory concentrates in the following directions: (1) Study of transport
properties, spin-lattice and magnetic interactions and spin relaxation processes
in magnetic and magnetically diluted systems, in particular, in manganese
perovskites, the materials of interest for spintronics applications. This
research provides information on the correlation between ferromagnetic and
antiferromagnetic interactions, charge transport, role of lattice effects
and magnetic clasters. (2) Investigation of colossal magnetoresistance materials
as candidates for applications in infrared sensors, study of carrier spin
relaxation and heat conduction processes in the range of the phase transition.
(3) Study of photoinduced triplet states for NMR based quantum computing
models.
[Dr. Natalia Noginova]
Composite and scattering
optical materials: random lasers, nanoplasmonics, metamaterials
Current research of our group is
primarily focused on the three subjects:
1. Random lasers – simplest sources of stimulated emission without
cavity, in which the feedback is provided by scattering.
2. Metamaterials – engineered media comprising metallic and
dielectric nanoparticles and nanostructures. They exhibit unique
properties, which make them useful for a variety of unparalleled
applications including imaging and lithography with super-high resolution,
invisibility cloaks, nanolasers, next generation telecommunication and
information systems and many more.
3. Nanoplasmonics –The performance of metamaterials, in large part,
depends on surface plasmons and surface plasmon polaritons. However,
unfortunately, many applications of surface plasmons and surface plasmon
polaritons suffer from damping caused by absorption in metals. In our
group, we work on compensation of loss in SPs by optical gain in
dielectric medium.
Optical Spectroscopy Lab
[Dr. Mikhail A. Noginov]
Computational materials science is
an interdisciplinary subject that implies the synergy of mathematics,
computer science, engineering, physics and chemistry. Computational
research activity in the Center of Materials Research (CMR) includes
numerical modeling of diverse properties of materials (solids, organic
molecules, and polymers), as well as modeling and simulations of
electronics and photonics devices. State-of-the-art first principle
theories are implemented to study equilibrium atomic configurations,
electron energy structure and different kinetic coefficients of materials.
Research includes molecular dynamics studies of the equilibrium atomic
configurations of molecules, molecular dimmers, polymers, and
nano-structured solids. Predicted quantities relate to electrical
transport, optical, and magnetic properties of materials and electronic
devices which are compared with the results of experimental studies.
Students are trained to operate both commercial and open-source software
for modeling and simulations in different areas related to material
science. Research and education in computational materials science, in
collaboration with experimental and technological groups in CMR, provide
excellent skills in the field of material science and engineering, and
prepare students for further activity in academia, in government
institutions, and/or in different industrial companies: in high-tech
electronics, chemistry, bio-physics and –chemistry, medicine etc.
[Dr.
Vladimir Gavrilenko]
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