A REU that would focus on the preparation and properties of electronic materials is established. Students would be involved each year in both academic year and summer research projects in the areas of semiconductor materials, optical materials, and electronic ceramics. The common focus of all the projects will be the development and understanding of materials with electrical or optical properties that are important for applications. Specific research projects include: (1) crystallization of amorphous ceramics, (2) infrared transmitting glass fibers, (3) mapping of epitaxial semiconductor materials, (4) synthesis and optical properties of doped sol-gel materials, (5) crystal growth of high conductivity oxides, optically active dyes-in-ceramic composites, and characterization of conducting polymers. Students for the academic year part of the program will be selected from a variety of undergraduate programs, including materials science, electrical engineering and chemistry. These students will receive academic year support for research activities and then be encouraged to continue as participants in on-going projects during the summer. Students for the summer part of the program will be recruited from a variety of high quality undergraduate institutions, such as Harvey Mudd and the Pomona Colleges, which are not able to provide a graduate-level research environment. A summer seminar series will be conducted in which students can present their work and interact professionally with graduate students and faculty in a research environment. Several of the students will be selected each year to present their work at national meetings.
