People

About me

I am professor of optoelectronics (semiconductor technology). Optoelectronics serves as the core technology for the majority of light driven photonics applications. Optoelectronic devices are used to transform electrons into photons, modulate and amplify light beams, transfer photonic signals to electronic domains, or convert solar light to energy.

My personal motto is “MAKE A DIFFERNCE!”. I follow this by identifying early stage emerging areas of research concerning III-V optoelectronics materials and novel device concepts. I target long-term impact by establishing technology development roadmaps starting from basic material science and ending with proof-of-concept applications, such as the use of semiconductor lasers in dermatology, sensing of environmental pollutants, and high efficiency solar energy conversion. 

OSA Fellow SPIE Fellow

Responsibilities

I am heading the research work at the “ORC-team” (Optoelectronics Research Center ), part of photonics community in Physics Unit. ORC is one of the leading optoelectronics research groups in Europe with more than 30 years of activity centered on the use of molecular beam epitaxy and the development of novel optoelectronic devices, such as laser diodes or solar cells. It is also the cradle of laser industry in Tampere and Finland.

I am responsible for three MSc-level courses in the area of optoelectronics and photonics and I act as lead supervisor or co-supervisor for 12 PhD students. I am PI of an ERC AdG project (AMETIST), and several other projects funded by the Academy of Finland, Business Finland, the European Commission (H2020), and the European Space Agency. 

Field of expertise

Molecular beam epitaxy, optoelectronic devices, semiconductor lasers, high-efficiency photovoltaics, ultrafast semiconductors, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Research topics

1. Topics concerning novel optoelectronics materials: InAs-based quantum nanostructures for nonclassical light sources; epitaxy of novel bismides compounds (GaSbBi and GaAsBi).

2. Topics concerning novel devices: semiconductor lasers (VCSEL) arrays for 3D sensing and datacenters; semiconductor lasers for eye-safe LIDAR and mid-IR sensing; high-efficinecy multi-junction solar cells with lattice-matched materials (i.e. GaInNAsSb).

3. Topics concerning technology platforms: hybrid integration of III-V components on silicon-photonics platform (in collaboration with VTT); monolithic integration of III-V compounds on Si/Ge. 

4. Topics concerning photonics applications: eye-safe time-of-flight LIDAR; mid-IR sensing; photovoltaic converter for optical energy transfer; use of semiconductor frequency converted yellow lasers in dermatology and ophthalmology.

Research unit

Physics / Photonics

Research fields

Optoelectronics technology, photonics

https://research.tuni.fi/orc/ 

Research career

2008 – Professor, Tampere University (Tampere University of Technology until 2018)

2005 – 2008 Senior researcher, Optoelectronics Research Centre, Tampere University of Technology

2003 – 2005 Postdoc, Optoelectronics Research Centre, Tampere University of Technology 

1999 – 2002 Post-grad student, Optoelectronics Research Centre, Tampere University of Technology

1997 – 1999 Teaching assistant (optoelectronics), University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Romania

About me

I work as a Senior Scientist in the Photonics Laboratory, Physics unit. My specialty are III-V semiconductor materials and components and their fabrication and characterization. I have also the Title of Docent in semiconductor technologies.

Responsibilities

Radiation safety officer (the XRD instruments at Physic unit, the micro-XRF instrument at Tampere microscopy center)

Infra responsibilities and acting as the contact person regarding semiconductor fabrication and characterization infra

Research on optoelectronic materials and devices

Taking part to Research hub planning especially regarding MBE and semiconductor analysis rooms 

Field of expertise

Characterization of epitaxial semiconductor materials (XRD, GIXRD, XRR, PL, DLTS, C-V, reflectance and transmission measurements, Hall, microscopy, AFM, EQE, L-I-V-T)

Design and characterization III-V semiconductor solar cells (single junction, multijunction devices) 

Molecular beam epitaxy (III-V semiconductor materials and structures (e.g. lasers, solar cells)

Design, fabrication and characterization of quantum structures and optical thin films

About me

I work as a Senior Scientist in the Photonics Laboratory, Physics unit. I specialize in micro- and nanofabrication and assembly, testing and characterization of photonic components including integrated photonics. I have also the Title of Docent in optoelectronic device fabrication.

Responsibilities

Responsible from infrastructure related to micro- and nanofabrication at TAU including two state-of-the-art cleanrooms for RDI-level III-V semiconductor device and photonics device fabrication. Infrastructure includes wafer level fabrication, device interfacing and testing areas. 

Principal investigator in projects involving development of optoelectronic devices, their fabrication and applications in fields such as quantum metrology and computing, environmental sensing and bio-medical technology. 

Taking part to Research hub planning especially regarding optoelectronic device testing and semiconductor processing rooms 

Field of expertise

Design and fabrication of III-V semiconductor devices and integrated photonics. 

Cleanroom infrastructure and semiconductor processing, assembly and testing equipment. 

Procurement processes for capital equipment in cleanroom 

Project management and development of research projects

Technology commercialization 

Research topics

III-V semiconductors, dilute nitrides, molecular beam epitaxy, multijunction solar cells

Research unit

Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC)

Research fields

Optoelectronics, photonics, molecular beam epitaxy, characterization

About me

Nouman Zia is a doctoral researcher at Optoelectronics research center, Tampere University. He completed his MSc. in Photonics from the University of Eastern Finland, and BSc. in Laser and Optoelectronics from Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, Pakistan. He is working on the development of state-of-the art mid-IR semiconductor edge emitting light sources and their integration with Silicon Photonics waveguides.

Field of expertise

• Design and simulation of semiconductor lasers and Si-Photonics components
• Semiconductor processing of III-V edge-emitting lasers
• Design and development of semiconductor light emitter's characterization setups

About me

I am a doctoral researcher working in the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) in the sub-group MBE of new III-V semiconductor materials. My academic/research focus lies in developing novel semiconductor quantum dots as non-classical light sources used in state-of-the-art quantum cryptography and on-chip quantum computing applications. For more info please read the following sections on my expertise and selected publications. 

Additionally, I am on the managing board of the Tampere university photonics SPIE and Optica student chapters where I've held presidency and vice-presidency positions in recent years.    

Field of expertise

My primary expertise lies in development and characterization of novel semiconductor quantum dot -based devices. Major technical skills include:

• Material characterization: AFM and SEM
• Optical characterization of quantum dots: Cryogenic PL spectroscopy, Time-resolved PL, Photon autocorrelation measurements using HBT setups
• Semiconductor processing (in cleanrooms): Wafer dicing, metallization, photolithography, dry and wet etching

Research unit

Physics

Field of expertise

III-V semiconductor gain chips for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

Research fields

Semiconductor Optoelectronics

Field of expertise

Semiconductor device fabrication in cleanroom

Process design and development

Research topics

III-V semiconductor edge emitting light sources (LD, SOA, SLED)

III-V device integration on silicon photonic integrated circuits (PIC)