FUNDING
The lab’s work is supported by the Army Research Office, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Sandia National Laboratories, and industry partners, across five active programs.
Active awards
Pseudomorphic Digital Alloys for Resilient UVC Laser Diodes
PI
Army Research Office
Early Career Program (ECP)
Co-I: Leo Schowalter
Oct 2024 – Sep 2029
Digital-alloy AlGaN heterostructures grown pseudomorphically to push ultraviolet-C laser diodes toward practical, radiation-resilient operation. Supports the group’s nitride MBE effort on Pomelo.
Nanophotonic Mid-wave Infrared Avalanche Photodiodes
PIAir Force Office of Scientific Research
Young Investigator Program (YIP)
Aug 2025 – Aug 2028
Pairing epitaxial nanophotonic resonances with avalanche gain to approach quantum-limit single-photon detection in the mid-wave infrared. Selected from a pool of more than 150 proposals.
High-index Hybrid-mode Nanophotonic Infrared Detectors
PISandia National Laboratories
Oct 2024 – Sep 2027
Exploiting hybridized guided-mode and Mie-type resonances available only in high-refractive-index systems to raise infrared detector performance and operating temperature.
High Power Adaptive Wavefront Control
Co-PIArmy Research Office
PI: Guifang Li
Jul 2026 – Nov 2026
Materials and device work supporting adaptive wavefront control at high optical power.
Electrically Switchable Reflective Amplitude Modulator in the MWIR
PIApex Microdevices LLC
via AFRL
Jul 2026 – Nov 2026
A reflective, electrically switchable amplitude modulator for the mid-wave infrared, built on the group’s epitaxial nanophotonics platform.
Completed awards & user programs
Including Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) user proposals, which provide facility access rather than direct funding.
Exploring the Ultimate Limits of Non-degenerate Two-Photon Absorption
PISandia National Laboratories
Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT) user proposal
Jan 2026 – Jun 2026
Pulsed Laser-Assisted Synthesis of Materials for American-made Semiconductors (PLASMAs)
Co-PIUCF Equipment Funding Program
PI: Piotr Kulik
May 2025 – May 2026
Heteroepitaxial Light Emitting Diodes for Infrared Scene Projection
PIAir Force Research Laboratory
Apr 2024 – Apr 2026
Epitaxial Heterojunction Lead-Selenide Photovoltaic Detectors for High-density Focal Plane Arrays
PIPhysical Sciences Incorporated
via AFRL
Jul 2025 – Nov 2025
Roadside Fog Detection Sensor Aging Studies of Camera Sensing Material Platform
Co-PIFlorida Department of Transportation
PI: Sudipta Seal
Jan 2025 – Aug 2025
Nanophotonic Short-wave Infrared Single-Photon Avalanche Photodiodes
PISandia National Laboratories
CINT user proposal
Jan 2024 – Jun 2025
Advancing Light-Matter Interaction through High-Index Nanophotonics in the Mid-Infrared
PISandia National Laboratories
CINT user proposal
Jan 2024 – Jun 2025
Advancing Light-Matter Interaction through High-Index Nanophotonics in the Mid-Infrared
PISandia National Laboratories
CINT “Rapid Access” user proposal
Oct 2023 – Feb 2024
Acknowledgement
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Army Research Office, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Department of Defense, Sandia National Laboratories, or the University of Central Florida.