Thin-Film Deposition of Hybrid Materials
The overall goal of my research is to help lead the transition from traditional to emerging semiconductor materials by investigating a novel thin-film deposition technique to control structure and properties in heterogeneous systems, primarily for optoelectronic devices. Specifically, I am interested in hybrid materials that comprise organic and inorganic components to create new materials with synergistic properties. To accomplish this, my research focuses on resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) for the thin-film deposition of hybrid materials. Fundamentally, the primary challenge my work addresses is to control the co-deposition of two or more materials with different natures such that a new material is synthesized with pre-determined properties and functionality. My research resides at the nexus of materials science, physics, and electrical engineering, and my emphasis on thin-film deposition began in graduate school. While I knew early on that I wanted to be a professor, it took time for me to find my research passion. With a desire to conduct research that would have application to everyday life and guided by the influence of numerous educators throughout my life, I eventually determined that the interaction of light with matter was a natural link between my interests in physics and my desire to have a practical impact. Over the past 15 years, my research has helped to establish RIR-MAPLE as a deposition technique with unique versatility for a variety of hybrid material systems, ranging from hybrid nanocomposites to hybrid organic-inorganic crystalline semiconductors. My experiences conducting multidisciplinary and collaborative research, as well as educating the next generations of scientists and engineers, are extremely gratifying, and I could not imagine another career for which I am better suited.
