B. Bacon, T. Seaward, C. Schnitzer, R. Adams, G. Taft
Stonehill College,
United States
Keywords: photonics, lasers, undergraduate research, semiconductors
Summary:
Semiconductors are central to a diverse range of applications, including photonics, electronics, computing. Pump-probe spectroscopy plays a key role in measuring semiconductor properties that enable these technologies. In our research, we employ a Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser to carry out pump-probe measurements of the evolution of optical properties such as reflectivity, transmission, and second-harmonic generation over controlled time delays. Our primary focus includes studying LiNbO3, BBO crystals, GaAs, GaAs with quantum wells, and InGaAsSb. Transient reflectivity studies of GaAs, a direct band gap group III-V semiconductor, suggest a radiative decay mechanism. Further research on the influence of this light interaction with GaAs may contribute to the development of group III-V semiconductors, which have promise in technological applications, including quantum computing. Additionally, the higher efficiency of GaAs compared with silicon highlights its potential benefits for materials science industries.