2025 Internship Project Overview

Quantum wells are layers of materials with different energies. This structure allows us to determine what frequency of light a material we design will absorb (or transmit), by taking advantage of “quantization.” We can use these materials to make many important devices, including lasers for gas sensing and communications purposes. We used titanium nitride / silicon nitride–based quantum wells, which we grew in a non-crystalline manner. Typically, these materials are grown crystalline. We wanted to examine if we could still take advantage of the useful properties of a quantum well despite growing them non-crystalline, using FTIR spectroscopy. Although more work needs to be done, we found that measurements are identical to crystalline materials that have been more extensively studied, likely illustrating “quantization” occurring despite the non-crystalline nature of our material.

ORGANIZATION/RESEARCH GROUP

Gmachl Research Group, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University

LOCATION

Princeton, New Jersey

 

Interns

Joshua Nanyaro ’27
Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Minor(s): Engineering Physics, Materials Science and Engineering
"What captivated me most was seeing the theory come to life before my eyes. Connecting the dots from paper to practice was pure magic. My experience made me consider applying to graduate school. I learned firsthand how rewarding research is and cannot help but pursue it further."

Click to view the end-of-project presentation

 

Claire Gmachl
Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mentors

  • Lodovico Rossi, Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering