Research Mentors

Professor Cerne studies novel materials using magneto-polarimetry. Undergraduate research projects typically involve building electronic, optical, or mechanical systems for improving old/making new measurements. These instruments are then tested and used by the students for measurements. Students also participate in new measurements, which can lead to a senior thesis. Students should have an interest and motivation to do experimental research.

Professors Iashvili works on the D0 experiment ( http://www-d0.fnal.gov/ ) at Fermilab, near Chicago, and the CMS experiment ( http://cmsdoc.cern.ch/cms/outreach/html/ ) at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. Both experiments are designed to study properties of fundamental particles, interactions between them, as well as to search for new phenomena. Students should be able to program in C++ and have a basic knowledge of UNIX/Linux systems.

Professors Kharchilava works on the D0 experiment ( http://www-d0.fnal.gov/ ) at Fermilab, near Chicago, and the CMS experiment ( http://cmsdoc.cern.ch/cms/outreach/html/ ) at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland. Both experiments are designed to study properties of fundamental particles, interactions between them, as well as to search for new phenomena. Students should be able to program in C++ and have a basic knowledge of UNIX/Linux systems.

Professor Luo studies spin-related effects in semiconductors, and fabricates and studies semiconductor nanostructures.

Professor Markelz uses terahertz and ultra fast laser techniques to probe collective vibrational mode response in biological molecules, and carrier and phonon dynamics in solid state systems.

Professor Nie’s research interests include emerging semiconductors and functional device integrations. Our group fabricate organo/inorganic hybrid materials, and investigate their optical and electronic properties suitable for devices like photon sensor, clean energy conversion and photonics. Dr. Nie’s current projects include: photovoltaics for space, radiation sensor for high energy photon and charged particles, chiral semiconductors for spintronics.

Modern technologies such as electronics, photonics, artificial intelligence call for multidisciplinary skills including material processing, device assembly and characterizations. Students working with our group will gain experiences covering all the important aspects and are provided with opportunities to explore their future research interests.

Professor Petrou studies semiconductor nanostructures using spectroscopic techniques (reflectance, photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and Raman spectroscopies) in the visible and near infrared. His main research effort concentrates on injection of spin polarized electrons from ferromagnetic metals into quantum wells and quantum dots, as well as electron spin manipulation in devices.

Professor Pralle uses laser tweezers to study protein mechanics and membrane structur, magnetic nanoparticles to remotely control protein function and optical microscopy to quantify and model cellular organization.

Professor Rappoccio's research interests are focused on "natural" solutions to the question of why the electroweak scale is different from the Planck scale. The solutions Prof. Rappoccio is most interested in are those where top quarks play a special role in this process, including examinations of models that predict extra spatial dimensions in our universe, and supersymmetry (SUSY).

As a member of the CMS Collaboration, Prof. Rappoccio has been actively involved since 2007. He is involved in QCD jet reconstruction and triggering, advanced techniques for identifying fast-moving heavy particles like top quarks and W/Z/H bosons, and upgrades to the CMS detector in 2013-2015.

Professor Zeng's research interests are in synthesis of nanoscale magnetic materials, nanodevice fabrication for electron transport studies, magnetic and magnetotransport characterizations. Students who are interested in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and are motivated to learn, are encouraged to apply. Students with basic knowledge of chemistry and/or programming skills are especially welcome.

Professor Han's main research topics are modeling of quantum many-body effects in electronic devices and strongly correlated systems, and simulation of magnetic behavior in nanoscale magnets.

Professor Hu's main research topics are solid state quantum computing, coherent control in semiconductor heterostructures, spintronics, and quantum fluctuations in solids. The focus of Prof. Hu's research has been to study and to manipulate quantum coherence, correlation, and fluctuations, and to explore their role in future nanoscale devices.

Professor Kinney works at the interface between particle physics and astrophysics as it applies to the universe immediately after the Big Bang.

Professor Sen works on nonlinear phenomena in systems with many degrees of freedom. His projects concern dust dynamics, shock absorption, and solitons.

Professor Wackeroth is interested in offering independent study in particle physics. Her research aims to confront and challenge our understanding of the fundamental forces of nature and the mechanism of mass generation at the quantum level through precision experiments.

Professor Zhang's long-term research objectives are unified around the theme of understanding and predicting materials properties from first principles, with emphases on nanostructured and other novel materials, computational materials design, and development of new theoretical and computational techniques.