EAGER: Development of novel wide-gap semiconductors for nuclear detection and IR photonics

美国国家科学基金会使用探索性研究早期概念赠款（EAGER）资助机制，以支持未经测试但可能具有变革性的研究想法或方法的早期阶段的探索性工作。EAGER项目是由于在亲爱的同事信NSF 16-080中邀请来自历史上黑人学院和大学的提议者提交提案，以加强该机构教师的研究能力而获得的。汉普顿大学的项目旨在探索三元金属卤化物的多功能应用，特别是用于核辐射探测和红外固态增益介质。如果该项目成功，将导致开发出具有改进功能的新型材料，用于各种应用，并产生重大的行业影响。该项目由数学和物理科学局共同资助。提出了基于三元金属卤化物的宽禁带化合物半导体晶体在核辐射探测和红外光子学中的应用。在这个EAGER项目中，将对金属卤化物的材料制备和大块晶体生长进行探索性研究。所提出的半导体也将与稀土掺杂剂一起生长，用于IR固态增益介质。工作内容包括：候选材料的合成;提纯研究和大块晶体生长实验;提纯晶体的稀土掺杂;以及用于核辐射探测和长波长红外增益介质的材料表征和建模。EAGER项目的探索性和未经测试的方面在于试图将金属铅卤化物的独特材料特性联合收割机结合起来，用于具有不同物理机制的两个重要应用。详细研究这些材料的光学和电学性质的缺陷和杂质的作用将作为温度和元素组成的函数。材料纯化和控制生长的块状晶体内的缺陷/杂质水平将是至关重要的结构-性能关系，影响可能的设备性能。

The National Science Foundation uses the Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) funding mechanism to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This EAGER project was awarded as a result of the invitation in the Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16-080 to proposers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to submit proposals that would strengthen research capacity of faculty at the institution. The project at Hampton University aims to explore ternary metal halides for multi-functional applications, in particular for nuclear radiation detection and infrared solid-state gain media. If this project succeeds, it will result in the development of novel materials with improved functionalities for various applications and lead to significant industry impact. This project is co-funded by the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The development of wide-gap compound semiconductor crystals based on ternary metal halides is proposed for applications in nuclear radiation detection and infrared (IR) photonics. In this EAGER project, exploratory research will be performed on the material preparation and bulk crystal growth of metal halides. The proposed semiconductors will also be grown with rare earth dopants for applications in IR solid-state gain media. The work includes: the synthesis of candidate materials; purification studies and bulk crystal growth experiments; rare earth doping of purified crystals; and material characterization and modeling for applications in nuclear radiation detection and long-wavelength IR gain media. The exploratory and untested aspect of the proposed EAGER project lies in trying to combine the unique material properties of metal lead halides for two important applications with different physical mechanisms. Detailed studies on the role of defects and impurities on the optical and electrical properties of these materials will be performed as a function of temperature and elemental composition. Material purification and control of defect/impurity levels within the grown bulk crystals will be critical for deriving structure-property relations impacting possible device performance.