RUI: Ultrafast Optical Studies of Nanoscale Thermal Transport and Coherent Acoustic Phonon Propagation

* 非技术抽象 * 该奖项支持本科院校的实验固态物理研究。 该项目旨在回答与半导体和纳米技术领域相关的基本问题。 超快激光器（产生持续时间小于百万分之一秒的光脉冲）将被用作研究薄膜材料中的热和超声的工具。 热研究将集中在具有许多潜在技术应用的新材料上：无定形氮化碳和聚合物纳米管复合材料。 超声波研究的重点是研究使用甚高频（比医疗超声波高1000倍）超声波研究硅片表面下纳米结构的可行性。实验工作的计算机模拟也将在该项目中发挥重要作用。 本科生将参与研究项目，获得前沿科学研究的培训和实践经验。 通过研究经验，学生将有能力继续研究生教育或开始在半导体/纳米技术行业的职业生涯。技术摘要 * 该奖项支持本科院校的实验凝聚态物理研究。 该项目旨在回答与技术相关的材料和现象有关的基本物理问题。 超快光学将被用作阐明薄膜材料中纳米级热传输和探测晶体晶片中相干声学声子（皮秒超声）的工具。 热传输研究将集中在非晶碳氮化物CN_x和聚合物-纳米管复合材料上。 声学声子研究将集中于研究通过毫米厚晶片的传播对声子脉冲的光谱和时间轮廓的影响。 后者的工作应有助于一种新的声子成像方案。 实验工作的有限元模拟也将在该项目中发挥重要作用。本科生将参与该项目，获得前沿科学研究的培训和实践经验。 通过研究经验，学生将有能力继续研究生教育或开始在半导体/纳米技术行业的职业生涯。

****NON-TECHNICAL ABSRTACT****This award supports experimental solid-state physics research at an undergraduate institution. The project seeks to answer fundamental questions that are of relevance to the semiconductor and nanotechnology fields. Ultrafast lasers (which produce light pulses less than a millionth of a millionth of a second in duration) will be used as a tool to investigate heat and ultrasound in thin film materials. The thermal studies will focus on new materials that have a number of potential technological applications: amorphous carbon nitride and polymer-nanotube composites. The ultrasound studies will focus on studying the feasibility of using very high frequency (1000 times higher frequency than medical ultrasound) ultrasound to study nanostructures beneath the surface of silicon wafers. Computer simulations of the experimental work will also play a major role in the project. Undergraduate students will participate in the research projects, gaining training and hands-on experience in frontier scientific research. Through the research experience, the students will be well equipped to pursue a graduate education or to start a career in the semiconductor/nanotechnology industries.****TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****This award supports experimental condensed matter physics research at an undergraduate institution. The project seeks to answer fundamental physics questions concerning materials and phenomena that are of technological relevance. Ultrafast optics will be used as a tool to elucidate nanoscale thermal transport in thin film materials and to probe coherent acoustic phonons (picosecond ultrasonics) in crystalline wafers. The thermal transport studies will focus on amorphous carbon nitride CN_x and polymer-nanotube composites. The acoustic phonon studies will focus on studying the effects of propagation through millimeter thick wafers on the spectral and temporal profile of the phonon pulses. This latter work should facilitate a novel phonon imaging scheme. Finite element simulations of the experimental work will also play a major role in the project. Undergraduate students will participate in the project, gaining training and hands-on experience in frontier scientific research. Through the research experience, the students will be well equipped to pursue a graduate education or to start a career in the semiconductor/nanotechnology industries.