Electronic and Photonic

The ability to convert the energy carried by photons of light into electrical charge and vice versa is an area of research that enables many important technological break throughs, including: low power displays for mobile phones, high efficiency solar cells, and extremely sensitive optical sensors. The epitaxial growth of thin films like GaAs, GaN, and other III­-V materials is an active area of research at USC. In par­allel, there are strong efforts to develop solution processable inks for the deposition of next-­generation semiconductors such as metal­organic halides (CH₃NH₃PbI₃, MAPI) and chalcogenide­-based materials like CuIn_xGa_(1−x)Se₂. Col­loidal nanoparticles with improved surface coatings that promote charge transfer and transport in photovoltaic de­vices are being prepared, which is a crucially important for improving the energy­ harvesting capacity of solar cells.

Active Faculty