Atallah Lab

The Atallah lab is interested in developing next generation low-cost semiconductors such as those derived from organic, nanomaterials and low dimensional materials and uncovering the physical processes that govern these materials when implemented in a device or for photocatalysis (i.e. in the excited states). In the Atallah lab we grow our semiconductors using colloidal wetlab synthesis methods as well as physical vapor transport to sublimate high purity crystals. 

We use laser spectroscopy to characterize these materials in the excited state: one technique we use picosecond (i.e. one trillionth of second) lasers to characterize how energy and charges will move in these materials once excited as well as the colors of light emitted once excited to learn about where and how the energy is flowing and if there are any parasitic loss channels. We use other spectroscopic methods including polarization anisotropy and Raman to correlate photo-physical/chemical processes with structure and cryogenic measurements to determine how temperature affects these properties.