Naomi J. HalasDepartment of Electrical and Computer

EngineeringDepartment of Chemistry

Department of BioengineeringLaboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP)

Rice University, Houston, TX, USA

APS Graduate Education in Physics Meeting College Park, MD, January 2008

Nanophotonics IGERT Program:Nanophotonics IGERT Program:an interdisciplinary adventure in an an interdisciplinary adventure in an

emerging areaemerging area

http://www.ece.rice.edu/~halas/

http://lanp.rice.edu

Nanophotonics

•What is nanophotonics?•Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP)•The NSF IGERT Program•The Rice Nanophotonics IGERT•The CONJUNTO Project: IGERT outreach

Nanophotonics: an emerging technology

Optics at thenanoscale !

PLASMONICS!

Plasmonics: a fundamentally multidisciplinary enterprise

Plasmon-enhanced Plasmon-enhanced Spectroscopies for chemical & biodetectionSpectroscopies for chemical & biodetection

100 400 700 1000 1300 1600 1900

Raman Shift (cm-1)

In vitro and in vivoIn vitro and in vivoBiomedical applicationsBiomedical applications

Fundamental science of metallic Fundamental science of metallic nano-optical componentsnano-optical components

10

20

30

40

Optical interconnects in next-Optical interconnects in next-generation computer chipsgeneration computer chips

Light harvesting for Light harvesting for energy energy

conversionconversion

wavelength (nm)

nanoshells

Laboratory for Nanophotonics

• Laboratory, not a Center (a network of researchers)• Open-door consortium of research groups• Initial core: “super-group meetings” plus journal club(s) and speakers• Mission: to foster interdisciplinary interactions, to lead and to follow this

emerging field

Halas (experiment/theory) chemistry/ECE/BioENordlander (theory) physics/ECEJohnson (theory) chemistryHafner (experiment) physics/chemistryDrezek (experiment/theory) BioE, ECEDiehl (experiment) BioELink (experiment) chemistry/ECEHartgerink (experiment) chemistry/BioEMassoud (theory/experiment) ECE/computer scienceBayazitoglu (theory) Mechanical Engineering

NSF: Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training grants

The Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers who will pursue careers in research and education, with the interdisciplinary backgrounds, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines, and technical, professional, and personal skills to become, in their own careers, leaders and creative agents for change. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, and institutions, by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to a world-class, broadly inclusive, and globally engaged science and engineering workforce.

NSF: Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training grants

• Provides ~5-10 graduate student stipends per year at $30K for a two-year period

• Students also get travel money for conferences • speaker series • full-time coordinator• Highly competitive: 3% success rate• 5 year grant, renewable once• U. S. Citizens only (IGERT Fellows vs. IGERT

Associates)• Assessment required!

NANOPHOTONICSFundamentals and Applications in Emerging Technologies

NSF IGERT at the Rice University Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP):

• Applied Physics Program-based Curriculum:

•Four core courses plus electives•two thematic elective tracks: theorists, experimentalists• Nanophotonics CAD Studio-goal of 100% COMSOL/computation literacy• Physiology “for dummies”•“Ethics”

•Students apply at end of first semester• Co-Advisors required• Short student-written proposal required for admission

NANOPHOTONICSFundamentals and Applications in Emerging Technologies

NSF IGERT at the Rice University Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP):

•Multidisciplinary Speaker Series• Visiting Scholar Program• Industrial Internships• LANP Seminars• International Collaborations• CONJUNTO Scholars and Mentors Program:multi-year Outreach

• Industrial and National Laboratory Internships:– IBM Research– Quantum Dot Corp– Becton-Dickinson Corp.– Nanospectra Biosciences, Inc.– Agilent– 3M– BioTools, Inc.– Gaussian, Inc. – Texas Instruments– Honeywell, Inc.– NIST– Los Alamos National Laboratory– Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory– AFRL, NRL

NANOPHOTONICSFundamentals and Applications in Emerging Technologies

NSF IGERT at the Rice University Laboratory for Nanophotonics (LANP):

The CONJUNTO* Project

UT

UTD

UTBUTPA

RICE

*CONJUNTO: a merger; the confluence of two rivers into one; the multicultural music of South Texas ( Tejano music) with hybrid central European and Mexican influences.

•The CONJUNTO Scholars&Mentors Program: a multi-year a multi-year undergraduate undergraduate program Summer Research program Summer Research experiencesexperiences targeting talentedunderrepresented minority undergraduates

The CONJUNTO Scholars & Mentors

Program

GOAL: To make a major national impact on the advancement of

Hispanic Americans (and African Americans, AGEP) into PhD level positions in science and engineering

To systematically “patch the leaky pipeline” by providing outstanding research experience, professional skills development, perspective via meeting attendance and trips, and networking for each individual through a multiyear and multi-institutional partnership commitment

To provide training for mentors at the graduate student, postdoctoral and faculty levels in understanding the goals and challenges of this program and its participants

The CONJUNTO Scholars & Mentors

ProgramAPPROACH:A multiyear REU program in a constructive technical environment with

graduate students and faculty participants as “CONJUNTO MENTORS”:

• Freshman summer: mentor as grad student or postdoc assistant;

• Sophomore summer: return to same research group for continuity, now with own project;

• Junior summer: participate in national network of NSF Centers, MRSECs, REU and Training Grant Programs with participating research group at that university.

• Senior year: apply to graduate school with recommendations from both faculty mentors;

• Pre-first year graduate school: start early at graduate institution in research group of interest

• Network communications continue to the completion of the PhD degree• Professional job and interview opportunities, advice

Questions?