9602935 Fauchet This Americas Program award will fund a collaborative research project between Dr. Philippe Fauchet, University of Rochester, and Dr. Julia Taguena, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. The objective is to investigate, theoretically and experimentally, the properties and device applications of silicon/polymer nanocomposites. Theoretical methods developed by the Mexican side to predict the electronic and optical properties of multiphase materials within an effective medium framework will be applied to silicon/polymer nanocomposites. Using porous silicon as the starting material, optical and transport measurements will be performed by the U.S. side on the nanocomposites to ensure a close fit between the theoretical calculations and the experimental results. Composites form a recently-developed class of materials with unusual optical properties. The modeling and production of such nanocomposites provide many opportunities for materials and devices with enhanced properties that may find application in optoelectronic devices. ***
