Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Contact Information:

E-mail: omalis@purdue.edu
Phone: 765-496-2639
Group Page

Education:

M.S. in Physics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, 1993; Ph.D. in Physics, Boston University, 1999

Research Interests:

semiconductor physics; intersubband transitions for infrared emission and detection; quantum cascade lasers; molecular-beam epitaxy of novel nanostructures; synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction; structural transformations in metallic nanoparticles

Research Impact Statement:

My research interests are in the area of semiconductor physics with an emphasis on the science and technology of optoelectronic materials. In particular I am exploring the properties of functional semiconductor nano-structures for mid-infrared light emission and detection. Quantum confinement in low-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures, such as quantum wells, wires, and dots, has a strong impact on the infrared optical properties of these materials. My work involves semiconductor growth, materials characterization, device fabrication and device testing. The semiconductor growth and characterization focuses on the fundamental mechanisms of nanostructure synthesis and the correlations between nanostructure and properties. The device fabrication and testing focuses on optimization of device performance for spectroscopic applications, such as trace gas sensing. I also have an active interest in the structural characterization of metallic nanoparticles with synchrotron-based x-ray scattering techniques.