This grant is to establish a Materials Research Group at Brown University to do research on the topic of ultrafast spectroscopy of nanostructure materials. This is a coherent, basic program of research with a particular investigative emphasis on the study of specific nanostructured semiconductor-based electronic materials. The focus is defined by the study of electronic heterostructures in terms of real-time dynamics of electronic and vibrational excitations as well as their coupling by ultrafast laser spectroscopy. The propagation and interaction of these excitations, and how they are affected by spatial constraints provide the main theme of the proposal. Topics being investigated include electron-phonon interaction, propagation of phonons, ultrafast space resolved spectroscopy of electronic phenomena in compound semiconductors, ultrafast electron dynamics in metallic thin films, and ultrafast dynamics of electron-phonon interaction in semiconductor nanostructures. The Materials Research Group undertakes materials research of a scope or complexity that would not be feasible through traditional individual investigator research. Progress is enhanced through a group of investigators with diverse backgrounds participating in interactive, collaborative research.
