MRI: Development of Combined Optically-pumped and Optically-detected NMR of Bulk and Nanostructured Semiconductors

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program, Sophia Hayes and her research group from Washington University - St. Louis will develop an instrument capable of optically-pumped and optically-detected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. The proposed instrument will combine the techniques of optically-pumped NMR and optically-detected NMR into a one-of-a-kind instrument. The proposed spectrometer will be used to study bulk and nano-structured semi-conductor materials. These materials have a number of important optoelectronic properties, and the studies that will be carried out can directly probe defect or trap sites, and study the impact of these sites on important physical properties, such as carrier dynamics. The project will be carried out by a diverse group of young scientists, including undergraduate and graduate students. The research also features important collaborations with international (University of Dortmund, Germany) and industrial research partners (Kopin Coroporation and MEMC), further broadening the impact of this research.New kinds of NMR techniques open up new avenues of research. The instrument developed with this award will allow scientists to study the properties of important materials, with unprecedented sensitivity. The instrument will be the first of its kind, and will enable Hayes, her research students and collaborators to probe the properties of technologically important materials. In addition, the research students working on this project will receive an interdisciplinary education, with the added benefits of exposure to international and industrial collaborations, which will prepare them for successful careers in science and technology.