Condensed Matter Physics

CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS GROUP
Program Coordinator: Arnel A. Salvador, Ph.D.

The Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory is interested in materials growth (III-V semiconductors and quantum structures, oxide semiconductors, high purity metal alloys, high Tc superconductors, and magnetic materials) and device fabrication (micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), field effect transistor (FET), piezoelectric micro machined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) and photoconductive antenna (PCA)). The CMPL has ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) facilities for thin film deposition such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), e-beam deposition, thermal evaporator, and magnetron sputtering. We also perform high-temperature processing including annealing, sintering, and alloying. We are also capable of characterizing the quality of grown materials using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and morphology using an atomic force microscope (AFM), Mossbauer spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy. The optical properties are measured using photoluminescence, ellipsometry, and Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, electrical properties are tested with current-voltage, Hall, resistivity, deep-level transient spectroscopy, and Magnetic susceptibility. For device fabrication, the CMPL is equipped with a probe station, spin coater, metallization, mask aligner, and wire bonder. Our experimental research activities are complemented by numerical studies such as ab initio calculations, Finite Difference Time-Domain (FDTD), Density Functional Theory (DFT), and COMSOL.

Research Areas: material synthesis, physical properties, and applications of high-temperature superconductors; UV, X-ray, and gamma-ray studies of defect structures, synthesis and optical characterization of ZnO; high-pressure studies of magnetic materials, electronic and optical properties of III-V semiconductors in bulk, quantum wells, and dots; and optoelectronic devices; nanomaterials and solar cells; ultrafast and terahertz spectroscopy; graphene; sun simulator; COMSOL, DFT.

Senior Members:

Elmer S. Estacio – Professor
(Condensed Matter Physics)

Arnel A. Salvador – Professor
(Condensed Matter Physics)

Roland V. Sarmago – Professor
(Condensed Matter Physics)

Armando S. Somintac – Professor
(Condensed Matter Physics)

Takahiro Matsuoka – Professorial Fellow
(Condensed Matter Physics)

Visit CMPL: https://nip.upd.edu.ph/app/uploads/2024/05/CMPL-Magazine_compressed.pdf