Localized Electronic States in Amorphous Semiconductors

非晶硫属化物（第VI族）半导体的电子、光学和结构性质由于其在可再编程光学存储装置（相变存储器）、光纤和其它电光装置中的使用而引起越来越多的关注。 这些器件中的许多都受到光学诱导的局部结构顺序变化的困扰，这在这些半导体中是普遍存在的。 光学和磁共振实验和紧束缚计算是针对了解当地秩序和亚稳态，光诱导的变化。 这种理解，将适用于广泛的非晶半导体，有潜力大大提高许多设备的性能。 研究生接受最先进的光学和磁共振技术的培训。 特别强调在本科和研究生两级积极征聘妇女。 一个以本科生为主的机构的外联工作吸引了几名本科女生。 暑期就业是提供给高中学生确定为特别有才华和积极性。 鼓励本科生在科学会议上发表演讲。 针对科学界的最新发展，正在为高等本科/研究生开设一门新的科学伦理学课程。 在标准的半导体材料中，比如那些用于计算机应用的材料，单个原子在空间中排列，就像盒子里堆叠的立方体一样。 如果这种规则的几何形状不存在，则半导体被称为“非晶”。 一类特殊的非晶半导体，即含有周期表第VI族原子的半导体，由于其在光纤中的应用，其性质特别令人感兴趣。 这些记忆和纤维受到光诱导的性能有害变化的困扰。 这项研究旨在了解这些变化，并最终减少这些有害影响。 在进行实验的过程中，本科生和研究生接受了最先进的光学和磁共振技术的培训，其医学类似物包括激光眼科手术（Lasik）和磁共振成像（MRI）。 特别强调积极征聘妇女。 外联工作包括与当地大学和高中密切合作。 科学界最近目睹了严重违反道德标准的行为。 针对这些发展，犹他州大学开设了一门新的科学伦理学课程。

The electronic, optical, and structural properties of amorphous, chalcogenide (Group VI) semiconductors are of increased interest because of their use in reprogrammable optical storage devices (phase change memories), optical fibers, and other electro-optical devices. Many of these devices are plagued by optically induced changes in the local structural order, which are ubiquitous in these semiconductors. Optical and magnetic resonance experiments and tight-binding calculations are directed at understanding both the local order and the metastable, optically induced changes. This understanding, which will apply to a wide range of amorphous semiconductors, has the potnetial to greatly improve the performance of many devices. Graduate students are trained in the most advanced optical and magnetic resonance techniques. Special emphasis is placed on the active recruitment of women at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. An outreach effort with a predominantly undergraduate institution has attracted several undergraduate women. Summer employment is offered to high school students identified as especially talented and motivated. Undergraduate students are encouraged to present talks at scientific meetings. In response to recent developments within the scientific community, a new course on Scientific Ethics is being developed at the advanced undergraduate/graduate level. In the standard semiconducting materials, such as those used for computer applications, the individual atoms are arranged in space like cubes stacked in a box. If this regular geometry does not exist the semiconductors are called "amorphous". The properties of a particular class of amorphous semiconductors, namely those that contain atoms from Group VI of the periodic table, are of special interest because of their use in optical fibers. These momories and fibers are plagued by deleterious changes in performance that are induced by light. The research is aimed at understanding these changes and ultimately at curtailing these deleterious effects. In the course of performing the experiments undergraduate and graduate students are trained in the most advanced optical and magnetic resonance techniques, whose medical analogs include laser eye surgery (Lasik) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Special emphasis is placed on the active recruitment of women. Outreach efforts include close collaboration with local colleges and high schools. The scientific community has recently witnessed prominent breaches in ethical standards. In response to these developments a new course on Scientific Ethics is being offered at the University of Utah.