UCL Nanoelectronics & Nanophotonics Lab
The team
Professor Tony Kenyon
Dr Adnan Mehonic
Dr Wing Ng
Salman Malik
Luca Montesi
Manveer Munde
Mark Buckwell
Hazel Kitching
Past members
Dr Daniela Diamare
Dr Miraj Shah
Dr Dan Konopinski
Dr Maciej Wojdak
Dr Ijaz Ahmed
Dr Harith Saleh
Dr Paul French
Dr Ben Jones
Dr Amadeo Pagliarani
Dr Silvia Bergamini
Dr Costas Chryssou
Matthew Shiers
Frederic Lucarz
Hasitha Jayatilleka
Visitors
Professor Enrique Miranda
Dr Edward Steinman
Tony Kenyon
Professor of Nanoelectronic & Nanophotonic Materials
Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
UCL
Torrington Place
London
WC1E 7JE
T: +44 (0)207 679 3270
e: t.kenyon AT ucl.ac.uk
This is a phenomenon in which the electrical resistance of device can be repeatedly switched between different non-volatile states, with a resistance contrast that can be several orders of magnitude.This is a very attractive technology to replace existing semiconductor memories as they reach their technological limits.
Our technology is based on silicon oxide, so it is entirely compatible with current microelectronic fabrication techniques - it is as simple an electronic material as can be.
Welcome to the UCL Nanoelectronics & Nanophotonics lab.
Our research focuses on the applications of nanostructured materials in electronics and photonics. We are working on a number of topics in the following areas:
Resistive switching
Rare-earth doped photonics
Silicon photonics
Self-assembled nanostructures
Quantum effects in silica
Optical MEMS
Rare-earth doped materials are at the heart of fibre optic communications - the erbium doped fibre amplifier is critical to the success of long-haul optical comms networks. However, erbium has a small excitation cross-section, low solubility in silica, and needs high-power laser excitation.
We have worked for some time on ways to overcome these limitations by coupling erbium with silicon nanoclusters. We have been able to produce Er-doped LEDs with record emission efficiency.
There are two approaches to making nanometre-scale structures and devices: top down, in which we use complex lithographic and nanometre-scale manipulation techniques, and bottom-up, in which we design materials and devices that will self-assemble - often by using novel chemistry.
In collaboration with colleagues in UCL’s Department of Chemistry we have developed techniques to produce self-assembled chains of metal nanoparticles. We are investigating how these structures can be used in novel nanoelectronic or nanophotonic devices.
Silicon is a very inefficient optical material, thanks to its indirect band gap. We are working on ways to overcome this fundamental limitation - by creating silicon nanostructures, for example. Nanoclusters or nanocrystals of silicon have higher emission efficiencies than bulk silicon,and their band gap energy can be tuned by changing their size. We are working to understand their luminescence mechanisms and how they can be used in devices.
We have developed an indium-phosphide based optical Micro Electro-Mecanical System (MEMS) that acts as an optical buffer. We fabricate two suspended optical waveguides that can be moved together and apart by applying a voltage. As we move them apart, light travelling along the guides sees a reduced refractive index, changing tis velocity. This allows us to delay optical pulses, and create an optical buffer.
Our resistive switching devices show quantisation of conductance - that is, the resistance of the conductive filaments that form during switching increases and decreases in discrete steps, rather tan continuously. Importantly, this happens even at room temperature. This opens up interesting possibilities for quantum technologies.
NEWS
Wing to present his optical MEMS work at the Houses of Parliament in March
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Our resistance switching work has been awarded a UCL Enterprise “One to Watch” award
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