9722239 Snoke The proposed CAREER program combines research and teaching on contemporary topics of modern optics, or "photonics." The proposed experimental research examines the spontaneous appearance of optical phase coherence due to excitonic long-range order. The phase transition of excitons to spontaneous coherence, which is exactly analogous to Bose condensation of atoms, will be studied in two and three dimensions, namely, in semiconductor quantum wells and in bulk semiconductors. The proposed teaching program involves creating a photonics curriculum which prepares students for the growing job market in optics and bioengineering, including tpaining in techniques such as time-resolved spectroscopy and acousto-optic modulation, as well as introductory courses which make modern physics more accessible to students of all kinds. %%% The proposed CAREER program combines research and teaching on contemporary topics of modern optics, or "photonics." The proposed research centers on novel physical effects of "excitons," which are essentially photons in an optical medium which act as though they have mass. Under proper experimental conditions, these "heavy and slow photons" can self-organize into a coherent wave with a wavelength hundreds of times less than ordinary light. The proposed program of teaching involves working with other members of the University of Pittsburgh to create a photonics curriculum which prepares students for the growing job market in optics and bioengineering, as well as introductory courses which make modern physics more accessible to students of all kinds. ***
