This award is for the renewal of the Materials Research Group at Purdue University (prior award DMR-8913706) on the topic of tetrahedrally coordinated compound semiconductors and their heterostructures. The research includes growth of materials using molecular beam epitaxial techniques; spectroscopic characterization in the visible, far infrared, and microwaves; transmission electron microscopy; magnetic property measurements; ultra low temperature calorimetry; study of quantum confinement of excitonic states; nature of the heterointerfaces; characterization of optoelectronic properties. The materials being studied include: manganese selenide, manganese telluride, cadmium manganese selenide, compounds doped with magnetic ions, and superlattices of these materials. %%% These materials have interesting properties and combinations of properties, for example, both semiconducting and magnetic properties, optoelectronic properties, and lasing in the blue and bluegreen part of the spectrum. Potential applications include optoelectronic signal processing, lasers, long wavelength infrared detection, flat panel display technology, etc. The group has a long history of interdisciplinary research that covers the range of fundamental science and technology. Students trained by this group have been highly successful.
