Materials have been defining human life from the stone age to the current information age. In particular, research in the fields of semiconductor science and electromagnetism underpins the explosive growth of computing, communications, and imaging that affect almost every aspect of modern human life. 

In this project, the interdisciplinary team of scientists working in the fields of physics, materials science, electromagnetism, scientific computing, and engineering will develop a new material platform that can potentially enable new sources, detectors, and processors of mid-infrared light. The team will utilize the ability to grow crystalline materials one atomic layer at a time to controllably combine dissimilar atoms together, with a goal of simultaneously engineering both electronic and optical properties of the resulting “digital alloys” to dramatically enhance the interaction between slow-but-compact electrons and fast-but-extended photons. The project will promote the development of next-generation leaders of the technical workforce, both through direct training of students and creation of “bite-sized” videos explaining the inner workings of materials science research. A collaboration between the team and AFRL researchers will explore applications of the developed materials in practical devices.