Faculty

Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science; Director, Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis

Professor Atwater's research focuses on electronic and photonic materials and devices, photovoltaics, and materials for micromechanical devices.

Professor of Applied Physics

Professor Bellan's research area is plasma physics with applications to fusion energy, solar physics, astrophysics, high altitude atmospheric phenomena, and the rings of Saturn. The research is mainly experimental but there is also substantial related theoretical effort. The research involves two major groups:(1) high power fast pulsed plasmas that simulate solar coronal loops, astrophysical jets, and have fusion applications and (2) water ice dusty plasmas relevant to noctilucent clouds and Saturn's rings.

Assistant Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science

Marco Bernardi specializes in theoretical/computational materials science and condensed matter physics. Marco's research group will investigate ideas at the intersection of solar energy conversion, ultra-fast science, excited state dynamics, and many-body electronic structure calculations. His recent research interests include energy conversion at subpicosecond time scale and nanomaterials for photovoltaics.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics

Professor Daraio focuses on materials science, condensed matter physics, and solid mechanics.

John K. Northrop Professor of Aeronautics and Professor of Applied Physics

Professor Dimotakis focuses on experimental and computational research on turbulent mixing and chemical reactions in subsonic and supersonic free-shear flows; hypersonic propulsion; mixing and the geometry of surfaces and interfaces in turbulence; scalar dispersion in turbulent flows; and related areas.

Space-Related Research

Recent space-related research has been in collaboration with JPL on remote sensing of the atmosphere from space and on the technical feasibility of an asteroid-return mission. Other space-related research has been on high-speed/hypersonic endoatmospheric flight and propulsion, and parachute dynamics for entry, descent, and landing.

Professor of Biology and Bioengineering; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Executive Officer for Biological Engineering

Professor Elowitz works in the areas of systems and synthetic biology. His research seeks to understand fundamental design principles underlying the architecture and dynamics of gene circuits, including the functional role that stochasticity, or 'noise', plays in the cell.  To do so, he analyzes gene circuit behavior at the level of individual cells using time-lapse microscopy, designs and engineers synthetic genetic circuits that are sufficient to enable specific behaviors, and employs mathematical modeling.

Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science

Faraon's research interests are in solid state quantum optics and nano-photonics. Applications include on-chip optical signal processing at ultra-low power levels, energy efficient sensors, bio-photonics and quantum information processing.

Barbara and Stanley R. Rawn, Jr., Professor of Materials Science and Applied Physics

Professor Fultz focuses on materials physics and materials chemistry, presently with two emphases. One is on the origin of entropy, as studied by neutron scattering and computation. The second is on new materials for energy storage, such as Li- and H-storage materials.

Charles and Mary Ferkel Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science, and Applied Physics

Professor Goddard's research focuses on new methodology for quantum chemistry, force fields, molecular dynamics, mesoscale dynamics, statistical mechanics Applications of atomistic simulations to chemical, biological, and materials systems, including catalysis (homogenous and heterogeneous), protein structure prediction, drug design, polymers, semiconductors, ceramics, and metal alloys (plasticity and failure) Applications to industrial problems in oil field technology, catalysis, polymers, fuel cells, and nanotechnology.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics

Professor Minnich researches the physics and engineering of nanoscale heat transport. Nanostructured materials have novel thermal properties with applications in energy such as for thermoelectric materials, which convert heat directly to electricity. Minnich uses experimental techniques, including ultrafast optical experiments, to study transport at the length and time scales of the energy carriers themselves. These experiments measure properties of the energy carriers that are lost at macroscopic scales, allowing for a more complete understanding of nanoscale transport physics. Minnich also uses these results to design novel materials and thermal devices, such as more efficient thermoelectric materials and devices for thermal energy storage.

Assistant Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science

Stevan Nadj-Perge is interested in development of mesoscopic devices for applications in quantum information processing. Such devices also provide a playground for exploring exotic electronic states at (sub)-nano length scales. In his research, he is using scanning tunneling microscopy and electrical transport measurement techniques at cryogenic temperatures.

John G Braun Professor of Applied Physics and Physics; Fletcher Jones Foundation Co-Director of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute

Professor Oskar Painter's research interests are in nanophotonics, quantum optics, and optomechanics for applications in precision measurement and quantum information science.

Fred and Nancy Morris Professor of Biophysics, Biology, and Physics

Professor Phillips focuses on physical biology of the cell: biophysical theory, single-molecule experiments, and single-cell experiments.

Frank J. Roshek Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Bioengineering

Professor Roukes's research focuses on nanobiotechnology, nanotechnology, nanoscale physics, nanoscale and molecular mechanics.

Bernard Neches Professor of Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics and Physics

Professor Scherer's group focuses on the application of microfabrication to integrated microsystems. Recently, his group has specialized on developing sensors and diagnostic tools that can be used for low-cost point-of-care disease detection as well as precision health monitoring.

Professor Scherer has pioneered microcavity lasers and filters, and now his group works on integration of microfluidic chips with electronic, photonic and magnetic sensors. His group has also developed silicon nanophotonics and surface plasmon enhanced light emitting diodes, and has perfected the fabrication and characterization of ultra-small structures by lithography and electron microscopy.

Presently, his group works on integration of microfluidic chips with electronic, photonic and magnetic sensors. His group has also developed silicon nanophotonics and surface plasmon enhanced light emitting diodes, and has perfected the fabrication and characterization of ultra-small structures by lithography and electron microscopy.

Professor of Applied Physics

Professor Schwab's current focus is on the question of quantum physics at large length scales, what does it take to observe quantum phenomena with ordinary matter and the largest possible scale. The techniques used to probe this are quantum-limited measurements of motion, ultra-low temperature physics, nanotechnology and microfabrication techniques, and ultra-sensitivity microwave measurement. 

Professor of Applied Physics, Aeronautics, and Mechanical Engineering

The Laboratory of Interfacial and Small Scale Transport {LIS2T} specializes in problems involving interface-mediated transport and "interface sculpting" in systems ranging in scale from microns to nanometers. Current topical areas include the study of free surface instabilities and self-assembling structures in liquefiable films triggered by thermal, electrical, Marangoni or magnetic field modulation; intrinsic 3D lithographic patterning of nanofilms; layering transitions and symmetry breaking in nanofilms; fluid interface modulation for micro-optic, photonic and field emission micropropulsion systems;  non-normality and unstable flows at low Reynolds number; biological flows governed by Marangoni forces; development of a universal slip condition for liquid on solid flows; and study of breakdown regimes in continuum flow vs molecular dynamics simulations. We complement full scale experimentation with analytic work, numerical computations and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to develop physical insight for theoretical advances as well as reliable design principles for application driven work.

Ted and Ginger Jenkins Professor of Information Science and Technology and Applied Physics; Executive Officer for Applied Physics and Materials Science

Professor Vahala studies science and applications relating to high-Q optical microcavities. His research group has pioneered a class of devices that attain Q factors of nearly 1 billion in a compact size. They are using these devices to study optical parametric oscillators, frequency microcombs, high-coherence Brillouin lasers, reference cavities, optical-based microwave sources, and optomechanical oscillators. 

Martin and Eileen Summerfield Professor of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering

Professor Amnon Yariv's research focuses on the theoretical and technological underpinning of optical communication. Present projects include: new types of semiconductor lasers, optical phase-lock systems and coherent photonics, hybrid Si/III-V devices for lasers, detectors and modulation, "Slow" light propagation in artificial periodic dielectric waveguides.

Professor of Applied Physics, Emeritus

Professor Corngold focuses on nuclear reactor physics, theories of particle transport, and the physics of non-neutral plasmas.

Frank J. Roshek Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, Emeritus

Professor Eisenstein focuses on experimental condensed-matter physics, particularly strongly correlated electrons in semiconductor heterostructures at low temperatures and high magnetic fields.

Frank J. Gilloon Distinguished Teaching and Service Professor, Emeritus; Professor of Physics and Applied Physics, Emeritus

Professor Goodstein focuses on phases and phase transitions in two and three dimensional matter, superfluidity, science education, and scientific ethics.

Simon Ramo Professor of Engineering, Emeritus

Theodore von Karman Professor of Aeronautics and Applied Mechanics, Emeritus

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, Emeritus

Professor Nicolet focuses on solid-state device technology: thin-film processes and surface layer phenomena.