Advith's Calendar

Abstract:

A profound transformation is unfolding at the intersection of quantum science, materials engineering, and photonics—where the control of light has advanced from passive observation to purposeful creation. Through quantum semiconductor technologies, we can now engineer materials atom by atom to shape the quantum states of light itself, spanning an extraordinary spectral range from the deep ultraviolet to the far-infrared and terahertz domains (0.2–300 µm.

This lecture traces how quantum-engineered semiconductors are redefining the boundaries of classical optics and electronics, giving rise to a new generation of intelligent photonic systems capable of sensing, communicating, and computing at the speed of light. We will explore breakthroughs in on-chip quantum emitters, spin-polarized photodetectors, and neuromorphic as well as free-space optical (FSO) networks—where coherence, entanglement, and spin dynamics converge to enable ultra-fast, energy-efficient, and intrinsically secure information transfer.

The implications of these advances are far beyond communication. In quantum sensing and photonic medicine, atomically designed materials now illuminate molecular and neural processes with sub-nanometer precision, bridging the quantum and biological realms. In Astro photonics and planetary exploration, similar technologies are opening new observational frontiers—detecting the faint quantum signatures of distant exoplanets and mapping the spectral fingerprints of the early universe.

Guided by first-principles simulations and realized through atomic-precision fabrication, these frontiers reveal a discipline that merges the rigor of condensed-matter physics with the creativity of design. Quantum semiconductors are no longer mere components; they are architectures of interaction—embedding intelligence within the very fabric of matter.

This lecture will envision a future where every photon carries meaning, every atom participates in cognition, and every material becomes a conduit between the physical and the living. It is a journey into the emerging language of quantum photonics—a language that unites physicists, engineers, and explorers in the shared pursuit of illuminating both life and the cosmos.

Bio:

Professor Manijeh Razeghi received her Doctorate ES-Science (d’État) in Physical Sciences from the Université de Paris, France, in 1980.

In the 1980s, she served as Head of the Exploratory Materials Laboratory at Thomson-CSF (France), where she pioneered and advanced modern epitaxial technologies, including MOCVD, VPE, MBE, GasMBE, and MOMBE, across the full compositional range of III–V compound semiconductors from the deep UV to the THz spectrum. Her innovations enabled the growth of exceptionally high-purity semiconductor crystals with unprecedented uniformity and reliability. These breakthroughs led to the discovery of new physical phenomena in InP-, GaAs-, GaSb-, In As , and AlN-based semiconductors and quantum heterostructures. Notably, she achieved the first InP quantum wells and superlattices, demonstrating the profound power and elegance of quantum mechanics in low-dimensional systems.

In 1991, she joined Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) as the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and founded the Center for Quantum Devices, where she also established the undergraduate and graduate programs in solid-state engineering. Professor Razeghi has authored or co-authored more than 1,500 scientific publications, over 35 book chapters, and 20 books. Her notable works include Technology of Quantum Devices (Springer, 2010) and Fundamentals of Solid State Engineering, 4th Edition (Springer, 2018). Her seminal two-volume series The MOCVD Challenge (IOP Publishing, 1989 and 1995) and its combined updated edition (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press, 2010) document her pioneering contributions to InP–GaInAsP and GaAs–GaInAsP material systems. She also holds numerous U.S. patents and has delivered more than 1,000 invited and plenary lectures worldwide. Her current research focuses on nanoscale quantum optoelectronic devices spanning the deep UV to the THz regime.

Professor Razeghi is a Fellow of MRS, IOP, IEEE, APS, SPIE, OSA, SWE (Life Fellow), and the International Engineering Consortium (IEC). Her distinguished honors include the IBM Europe Science and Technology Prize (1987), the Achievement Award from SWE (1995), the R.F. Bunshah Award (2004), the IBM Faculty Award (2013), the Jan Czochralski Gold Medal (2016), the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering (2018), the LSA 10th Anniversary Outstanding Contribution Award, and numerous best paper awards. She is an elected Life Fellow of IEEE, SWE, and MRS, and was elected to the Academy of Europe in 2021.