PIRE Research Collaborators


Junichiro Kono, PI, Rice University
Associate Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Department of Physics & Astronomy
Prof. Kono's research is currently focused on the physics and applications of semiconductor nanostructures and quantum device structures in the Kono Lab at Rice University. His research group uses state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques to study charge, spin, and vibrational dynamics in a variety of nanostructures. Research impacts include: increased understanding of the quantum states and dynamics of interacting, confined, or strongly driven electrons in nanostructures; new spectroscopy techniques; novel device concepts and implementations (especially towards all-optical switches and spin-based devices); establishment of the quantum nature of semiconductor-light interaction; progress towards the solid-state realization of quantum information processing, computation and communications; and provision of a controlled environment in which to address unanswered questions in many-body physics.

Alexey Belyanin, co-pi
Texas A&M University
Associate Professor, Department of Physics
Prof. Belyanin's general field of study is optics of semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures. His research group is interested in a broad range of phenomena and applications. On the fundamental side, his group studies nonlinear optical interactions in quantum-well and quantum-dot nanostructures, interplay between optics and carrier transport, coherent and ultrafast optical processes, optical response of semiconductors and nanostructures in the presence of strong magnetic fields, and magnetooptical properties of dilute magnetic semiconductors. On the applied side, his group studies the physics of quantum semiconductor devices such as quantum cascade lasers or nonlinear optical sources and detectors based on semiconductor heterostructures. They propose and develop novel devices with unique functionalities such as operation in new spectral ranges, generation of ultrafast pulses, or multimode coherence.

Christoper Stanton , co-pi
University of Florida
Professor, Department of Physics
Prof. Stanton has extensive experience in theoretically modeling the electronic, transport and optical properties of bulk and quantum confined semiconductor structures as well as devices such as semiconductor lasers. His group has worked on coherent and incoherent carrier kinetics C-14 in semiconductors photoexcited by ultrafast laser pulses. Phenomena studied include: coherent phonons in semiconductors; wavepacket dynamics and THz radiation from ultrafast excitation; nonlinear Faraday effect in dilute magnetic semiconductors; and coherent control in solids.

Hiroo Munekata, International Collaborator
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Professor, Imaging Science and Engineering Laboratory
The Munketa Lab in the Imaging Science and Engineering Laboratory at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has extensive experience in MBE growth of semiconductor structures, especially magnetic semiconductor structures. He has broad knowledge of materials growth and electronic and optoelectronic devices, having made innovative contributions by implementing new physics with novel materials, including: 1) amorphous Si quantum wells, 2) in-situ observation of lattice relaxation in heteroepitaxy, 3) the first III-V-based dilute magnetic semiconductor, and 4) light-induced ferromagnetism.

Masataka Inoue & Shigehiko Sasa , International Collaborators
Osaka Institute of Technology
Profs. Inoue and Sasa of the Semiconductor Electronics Lab at the Osaka Institute of Technology have extensive experience in MBE growth of compound semiconductor materials and heterostructures and the electrical and optical study of such systems. He research areas include MBE growth of InAs/AlGaSb and other II I-V semiconductors, high-speed electron transport and device applications, low dimensional quantum effects, optical properties, and superconducting weak-link devices. He has established a large compound semiconductor research group at the Osaka Institute of Technology and has supervised the research of more than 50 students in these areas.

Other Research Collaborators

Dr. Jeffrey A. Fagan (National Inst. of Standards & Technology)
Dr. Robert H. Hauge (Rice University)
Dr. Erik K. Hobbie (National Inst. of Standards and Technology)
Dr. Yasutaka Imanaka (National Institute for Materials Science)
Dr. Iwao Kawayama (Tonouchi Lab, Osaka University)
Prof. Yong-Sik Lim (Konkuk University, Korea)
Prof. Shigeo Maruyama (University of Tokyo)
Prof. Daniel M. Mittleman (Rice University)
Prof. Riichiro Saito (Tohoku University)
Dr. Gary D. Sanders (Stanton Lab, University of Florida)
Dr. Tadashi Takamasu (National Institute for Materials Science)
Prof. Masayoshi Tonouchi (Osaka University)
Dr. Alexander G. Umnov (Fujitsu America)
Prof. Ki-Ju Yee (Chungnam National University, Korea)
Prof. Go Yusa (Tohoku University)

PIRE Education Collaborators

Dr. Cheryl Matherly, Co-PI
University of Tulsa
Associate Dean for Global Education
Dr. Cheryl Matherly is Associate Dean for Global Education and Applied Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Tulsa, where she directs the institution’s international study, work, and volunteer programs. She is currently directing the university’s strategic initiatives in Asia. Dr. Matherly’ special area of interest is with the internationalization of science and engineering education. She currently co-directs the INNOVATE conference, which involves students from five countries in the study of globalization and technology in Asia, and the NanoJapan program, funded by the National Science Foundation in order to expand international research opportunities for students in STEM fields. NanoJapan was recognized by the Institute for International Education in 2008 with the prestigious Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovations as a ‘Best Practice in Study Abroad’. She received a second NSF grant for a multi-phase conference, Strategic Issues in University Internationalization, that examined comparative approaches in the US and Japan for the internationalization of science and engineering education. Dr. Matherly is the recipient of two Fulbright grants for international education administrators (Germany and Japan.)

Sarah Phillips , Co-PI
University of Tulsa
Associate Dean for Global Education
Sarah Phillips is the International Programs Administrator in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Rice University. She currently co-directs the INNOVATE conference, which involves students from five countries in the study of globalization and technology in Asia, and the NanoJapan program, funded by the National Science Foundation Partnership for International Research & Education program in order to expand international research opportunities for students in STEM fields. NanoJapan was recognized by the Institute for International Education in 2008 with the prestigious Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovations as a ‘Best Practice in Study Abroad’. Sarah also works directly with the Kono Reserch Group and serves as staff advisor to the IAESTE Rice Local Committee. Prior to her position at Rice, Sarah worked for the Institute of International Education (IIE) as a Program Manager for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for Study Abroad and, most recently, as a Scholarship Manager in Doha, Qatar.

Keiko Packard
NanoJapan Program Representative in Japan
KIP Programs, LLC
Keiko Packard serves as the NanoJapan program representative in Japan where she coordinates all aspects of the Orientation Program and Mid-Program Meeting and works collaboratively with the US-based Education and Research members on the development of new initiatives, such as the NanoJapan Internship Program, and promotion of NanoJapan and its related research activites.