POWRE: Femtosecond Far-infrared Studies of Carrier Dynamics in Disordered Systems

本项目旨在更好地理解无序电子材料中的载流子动力学。该研究将应用新技术，包括最近开发的远红外（太赫兹频率范围）飞秒脉冲的产生和检测方法，以探测非晶硅和微晶硅以及相关材料中的载流子过程。实验旨在通过探测先前未探索的能量尺度上的载流子动力学来解决这些材料输运特性中尚未解决的问题，这些能量尺度对应于迁移边缘附近的局部状态。实验还计划研究非晶材料中二能级隧穿态的基本性质。无序在电子特性中的作用将在一系列表征良好的样品的测量中得到解决，包括由热线辅助化学气相沉积技术产生的有序度可控的薄膜。这是在研究和教育领域妇女专业机会（POWRE）计划下提供的一项研究加强补助金。该研究将在与电子材料行为特别相关的基础水平上贡献基础材料科学知识。该项目还强调通过研究生和本科生参与研究将研究和教育结合起来，并提供一项特别的夏季研究助理奖学金，以鼓励代表性不足的少数民族和女学生参与研究。该项目由材料研究部和MPS OMA（多学科活动办公室）共同支持。＊＊＊

This project aims to achieve greater understanding of carrier dynamics in disordered electronic materials. The research will apply new techniques involving recently developed methods for the generation and detection of femtosecond pulses in the far-infrared (terahertz frequency range) to probe carrier processes in amorphous and microcrystalline silicon, and in related materials. Experiments are designed to address unresolved issues in the transport properties of these materials by probing the carrier dynamics on a previously unexplored energy scale corresponding to localized states near the mobility edge. Experiments are also planned to investigate the fundamental nature of two-level tunneling states in amorphous materials. The role of disorder in the electronic properties will be addressed in measurements on a series of well-characterized samples, including films with controlled degrees of order produced by the hot-wire-assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. %%% This is a research enhancement grant made under the Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) program. The research will contribute basic materials science knowledge at a fundamental level of special relevance to the behavior of electronic materials. The project also places emphasis on the integration of research and education through graduate and undergraduate student participation in research, and involves a special summer Research Assistantship to encourage participation of underrepresented minorities and women students in research. The project is co-supported by the Division of Materials Research, and the MPS OMA(Office of Multidisciplinary Activities). ***