Nikolai Kalugin, PhD

Professor

Materials and Metallurgical Engineering

Nikolai.Kalugin@nmt.edu
575 - 835 - 6508
Jones 165

Website

Research Areas

Optical and Electron Transport Properties of Semiconductor Nanostructures (excitons in quantum well and quantum dot structures, 2DEG systems and quantum Hall effect)
Graphene
Graphite
Carbon Nanotubes
THz Lasers & Detectors
THz via Quantum Coherence
Quantum Optics
Femtosecond CARS for bio applications
Chirality

Education

Ph.D. in solid state physics/micro- and nanoelectronics, Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences 1997

M.S. in Engineering Electrophysics, Nizhny Novgorod Technical University, Russia, 1989 Summa Cum Laude

B.S. in Applied Physics, Nizhny Novgorod Technical University, Russia, 1987

Plain Language Summaries of Recent Research

Interface junction electron states in 2D materials

We have revealed a previously unobserved type of electronic state with a relatively strong optical response tied to the interface junction between graphene sheets with different number of monolayers on each side of the junction. These interface states are localized and have an enhanced dipole matrix element for interband excitation. Photo-excited electrons generate photocurrent and photovoltage at the rectifying junction between suspended and nonsuspended parts of graphene flakes. Because of the one-dimensional geometry, the interface junction states support a polarization dependent photocurrent which is aligned along the junction in inhomogeneous graphene samples.

Altogether, our results demonstrate the capability of graphene interface junctions to form 1D electronic states, whose properties can be exploited for electronic and optoelectronic applications. We discovered these states in graphene but we anticipate that similar type of states will be important and will definitely influence physical properties for all other 2D few-monolayer semiconducting materials.

Recent Publications

Nikolai G. Kalugin, Lei Jing, Eric Suarez Morell, Gregory C. Dyer, Lee Wickey, Mekan Ovezmyradov, Albert D. Grine, Michael C. Wanke, Eric. A. Shaner, Chun Ning Lau, Luis E. F. Foa Torres, Mikhail V. Fistul and Konstantin B. Efetov, Photoelectric polarization-sensitive broadband photoresponse from interface junction states in graphene, 2D Materials, 4 (2017) 015002.

Recent Presentations

Nikolai G.Kalugin, Lei Jing, Eric Suarez Morell, Gregory C. Dyer, Lee Wickey, Mekan Ovezmyradov, Albert D. Grine, Michael C. Wanke, Eric. A. Shaner, Chun Ning Lau, Luis E. F. Foa Torres, Mikhail V. Fistul, and Konstantin B. Efetov, Interface junction states and broadband polarization-sensitive inhomogeneous graphene. Graphene 2017, Barcelona, Spain, March 28-31, 2017.

Rare-Earth- containing nanoparticles for bioimaging

We have developed a method to synthesize small ∼ 3– 18 nm sized Er₂O₃– Er₂SO₂ nanocrystals dispersed on rGO (reduced Graphene Oxide) surfaces. A high degree of surface coverage Er₂O₃– Er₂SO₂ nanoparticles on the surface of rGO was achieved. This result is likely due to sulfur impurities in the GO starting material which act as nucleation sites for the formation of Er₂O₃– Er₂SO₂ particles during thermal reduction. Despite the small size, due to high concentration of Er³⁺ , the nanocrystals demonstrate strong PL and upconversion response. As a result, this work provides a promising solution towards making Er³⁺ - based imaging probes and upconversion sensors for biomedical applications.

Recent Publications

N. G. Kalugin, A. J. Roy, K. Artyushkova, A. Serov, Synthesis, characterization, and photoluminescence of Er₂O₃–Er₂SO₂ nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide, Nanotechnology 28 (2017), 195603.

Graphene-based stationary phase materials for separation of chiral drugs

Researchers at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico Tech have recently developed a method of making graphene-based inorganic-organic hybrid materials for application in fine organic synthesis and separation of enantiomers. These synthesized hybrid materials can be created in multi-step reactions which involve preparation of graphene-based materials, with controlled morphology and chemical composition, followed by modification of graphene-based materials by organic molecules. The targeted applications for these materials are in pharmacy, fine organic synthesis, and separation of chiral compounds.

Recent Patent Applications

P.Atanassov, A.Serov, N. Kalugin, L.Frolova, Graphene-Based Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials and Separation of Racemic Mixtures, WO2016054129 A1.

Solution of “three-phase problem” for oil industry

The problem of accurate measurements of flowrate and compositions of oil–gas–water mixtures in a pipeline remains one of the key challenges of petroleum industry. The currently used methods are expensive, slow, not portable, and in some cases require extra safety measures (for example, gamma radiation-based flowmeters). In our work, we provide the solution of the three-phase flow problem based on use of Mid and Far-Infrared laser spectroscopy. We describe the technique and the device, which provides real time composition analysis not only for the three major components of flow (oil, water, and gas), but also can monitor the changes in composition of oil, gas, and water components at the level of a chemical analytical laboratory. The demonstrated technique is not only much more informative, but less expensive, safer, less energy consuming, and much more compact as compared existing alternatives.

Recent Publications

T. Ispirescu, R.Balch, and N.G.Kalugin. In-situ analysis of mixed-phase oil flow compositions via Mid and Far- Infrared laser spectroscopy, Submitted 02/10/2018, SPE Journal, manuscript SJ-0218-0016

Recent Patents

R. Balch, T. Ispirescu, and N.Kalugin, Method of in-situ analysis of mixed phase flow composition, NMT Patent application WSGR Docket No. 47481-703.101, 04/ 2016.

Oxidation of ultrathin GaSe

Research of 2D semiconductors is one of the most rapidly progressing areas of solid state physics. Two-dimensional GaSe provides advantages not present in bulk GaSe: the bandgap has been predicted to enlarge up to 4 eV, and atomically thin layers provide a pathway towards novel responses emerging from 2D heterostructures. Recently, ultrathin GaSe photodetectors have been successfully fabricated demonstrating comparably large photoresponse and fast response times.A limitation of ultrathin GaSe is its sensitivity to oxidation. Our work demonstrates both the proclivity of ultrathin GaSe to oxidize and the Raman-based spectral signatures that can be utilized to track its occurrence. Specifically, the products of the oxidation reaction, namely, those stemming from Ga₂Se₃ and a-Se, are shown to evolve in conjunction with the reduction of photoluminescence and Raman scattering intensity associated with GaSe. While oxidation occurs upon exposure to ambient air, it can be accelerated via photoinducement, thereby presenting the possibility of patterned 2D heterostructures realized by laser processing that transforms the solid itself.

Recent Publications

T.E. Beechem, B.M. Kowalski, M.T. Brumbach, A.E. McDonald, C.D. Spataru, S.W. Howell, T. Ohta, J.A. Pask and N.G. Kalugin, Oxidation of ultrathin GaSe, Appl. Phys. Lett. 107 , 173103 (2015).

Recent Presentations

T. E. Beechem, B. M. Kowalski, M. T. Brumbach, A. E. McDonald, C. D. Spataru, S. W. Howell, T. Ohta, J. A. Pask and N. G. Kalugin, Oxidation of ultrathin GaSe, 2016 MRS Spring Meeting and Exhibit, Presentation NT 4.8.11, March 28- April 1, 2016, Phoenix AZ

Nano-Optoelectronic Materials and Device Laboratory

The Nano-Optoelectronic Materials and Device Laboratory is equipped for electrical and optical characterization of semiconductor structures and devices, including electroluminescence, absorption/transmission/reflection measurements, photoconductivity and photovoltaics, in a very wide spectral (wavelengths from 0.5 µm to 500 µm) and temperature (from 1.4K to 300K) range. Within the laboratory there is:

an advanced step-scan Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (Thermo-Nicolet Nexus 870), equipped with a full set of beamsplitters and detectors (Si liquid Helium-cooled bolometer the far-infrared/THz region, liquid Nitrogen-cooled MCT and InSb detectors for the mid-infrared, Si photodiode for near-infrared and visible spectral regions).
Ametek-made amplifiers and lock-in amplifier, Tektronix 3052B oscilloscope, Keithley multimeter and source meter (K2000 and K2400), the custom-made low-noise electronics (suitable for extremely low-noise measurements of phototransport properties of carbon nanotube field-effect transistors).
high magnetic fields are available using the cryogenic superconducting 8T magnet (American Magnetics Inc) with the set of control equipment and power supply.
p-Ge THz laser and THz and MIR quantum cascade lasers

We fabricate graphene and graphene-based devices using mechanical exfoliation of graphene on Si/SiO2 substrates, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of graphene on catalytic substrates. For standard and electron beam lithography we collaborate with the DOE Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT)-Albuquerque

In addition to the capabilities of our laboratory, we use the Raman spectroscopy laboratory of NMT, and the atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy facilities of CINT.

Lab Team

Mekan Ovezmyradov, PhD student

Areas of Interest:

nanofabrication
CVD and mechanical exfoliation of graphene
Raman characterization of graphene
magnetotransport experiment

Lee Wickey

Profile image of Lee Wickey

Areas of Interest:

photo- and magnetotransport experiment
THz lasers
microwave and THz spectroscopy
data acqusition systems

Team Alumni

Christopher Del Barga
Irakli Kalichava (MS, currently a Ph.D student, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland)
Dr. Graham Walsh
Amanda Clements
Russell Phillips

Selected Talks

Microwave microscopy of few-layer graphene, Annual Meeting of the Four Corners Section of the APS October 2010, Ogden, UT
Microwave microscopy and Magneto-Raman spectroscopy of graphene and graphite, Department of Physics, UC-Riverside, August 2010
Raman spectra of disordered and nonplanar graphene, Los Alamos National Laboratory/ CINT Los Alamos, July 2009
Quantum transport effects in nanodevices in magnetic fields, Invited talk at NHMFL and CINT, Los Alamos, NM, USA December 2007.
Efficient generation of THz radiation in gases and solids via stimulated Raman scattering, Summer School on Quantum Optics and Molecular Physics (TAMU-Princeton-Casper College), Casper, WY, USA, July 2007
Generation of strong short coherent terahertz pulses in gases and solids using coherent Raman scattering, Second Annual Center for Energetic Materials and Energetic Devices (CEMED) Conference “Femtosecond Lasers, Energetic Materials, and Energetic Devices,” Socorro NM, USA, March 2007
Unveiling the magnetically-induced field-effect in carbon nanotube devices, Invited talk at the Department of Physics, New Mexico State University, NM, USA, February 2007
THz generators and detectors: next steps, Invited talk at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA, December 2006
Efficient generation of THz radiation in gases and solids via quantum coherence, Invited talk at the Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, FL, USA, October 2006
Multi-phonon Infrared Spectra of thin polycrystalline films and monocrystals of dipicolinic acid, Invited talk at 35th Winter Colloquium on The Physics of Quantum Electronics, Snowbird, Utah, USA, January 2005
Dynamics of the TeraHz photoresponse in quantum Hall systems, Invited talk at National Pulse High Magnetic Field Laboratory (LNCMP), Toulouse, France, December 2002
Bulk Ge TeraHz lasers, Invited talk at Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology, Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Villigen, Switzerland, November 2002
Dynamics of far-infrared photoresponse in quantum Hall systems, Invited talk at the Department of Prof. K. v.Klitzing, Max-Planck-Institut for Solid State Physics (MPI-FKF), Stuttgart, Germany, March 2002.
Exciton luminescence in Ge/GeSi heterostructures, Invited talk at P.N.Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, March 1997