Since its founding in 1992, the Center for Quantum Devices at Northwestern University has evolved from only a mere vision into a concrete world-class research laboratory, with the mission to pursue academic excellence and high-level research in compound semiconductor science and nanotechnology.
Advancing the frontiers in this cutting-edge scientific field is an exciting and challenging adventure, for which the Center has assembled a strong team of graduate and undergraduate students, research scientists and professors with diverse backgrounds, working within the Center's unique state-of-the-art research facility. The creativity and ingenuity of this strong team has proved successful in solving the many scientific issues encountered on a daily basis, achieving a number of breakthroughs and staying ahead of competition. At the same time, as an integral part of a high-level educational institution, the Center has been educating and training future leaders for both academia and industry.
The scientific research has involved developing an understanding of the physics of new semiconductor crystals for novel applications and realizing advanced semiconductor devices such as lasers, photodetectors, transistors, waveguides and switches. This entails a multidisciplinary combination of solid state physics, quantum mechanics, electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering and materials science, as well as a strong collaborative effort between Academia, Industry, and National Laboratories. A strong testimony of the success of this endeavor has been the consistent support of several industrial corporations and government agencies from the Department of Defense to push forward the science and nanotechnology of compound semiconductor optoelectronic and quantum devices at the Center.
