Nanostructures Optics Research Group: Activities

The research activities in my group will be focused on optics and ultrafast spectroscopy of semiconductor nanomaterials, photonic and plasmonics structures for Micro and Nanophotonics applications. The emphasis of the research will be predominantly experimental and will be devoted to the fabrication and optical characterization of novel nano-optical materials and photonic structures. The activities will also include several aspects of electronic structure calculations in nanomaterials and design and optimization of photonic structures. Students with a prevalently computational/theoretical background will also be able to work in the group in direct contact with the experimental activities of materials fabrication and characterization.

The experimental activities in nanostructures linear and non-linear optics will include:

- time resolved pump probe light amplification measurements
- absolute quantum efficiency measurements
- photoluminescence excitation measurements (PLE)
- single dot spectroscopy
- photon statistics and correlation measurements in gain media
- Z-scan technique measurements of nonlinear optical response
- Second harmonic generation (SHG) in nanomaterials

Semiconductor materials deposition and processing will be performed both at BU and in collaboration with the EMAT group at MIT and will include:

- thin film deposition and nanomaterials growth by:

• Magnetron sputtering
• Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition
• Electron Beam and Thermal evaporation
• Electrochemical anodization

Metal/dielectric nanostructures for surface plasmons field enhancement and plasmonics applications will be fabricated at BU and in collaboration with Stanford University. The experimental activities will include the optical characterization of:

• Colloidal semiconductor and metal nanoparticles /coated nano-spheres
• Plasmonics grating and waveguides
• Carbon nanotubes / functionalization of nanotubes

Computational/theoretical and design activities will include:

- electronic structure calculations in semiconductor nanostructures
- semiconductor device modeling
- photonic crystals design
- electromagnetic simulation techniques for plasmonics devices