Assistant Professor

B.S., Physics, University of Michigan, 1993

Ph.D., Physics, Cornell University, 2000

Contact Info

Lauhon Research Group

 

Synthesis and Characterization of New Low-Dimensional Materials

     The increasing relevance of fundamental research at the nanoscale to emerging technologies indicates a convergence of interests, across the traditional boundaries of academic disciplines and industry, that continues to drive exciting advances in the nanosciences. In this field, fascinating new insights and applications arise when physicists, chemists, materials scientists, and engineers bring their collective abilities to bear on significant problems of broad interest.

     Research in the Lauhon group addresses three key aspects of nanoscience and technology: (1) the design and synthesis of novel low-dimensional materials, in particular inorganic nanowires; (2) the development of proximal probe techniques for nanoscale electrical, optical, and magnetic characterization; (3) the realization of new device technologies enabled by nanomaterials research. We are committed to developing a fundamental understanding of how novel physical properties arise in rationally designed nanostructures as a basis for exploiting these properties in various applications. Our research is highly interdisciplinary in nature and takes advantage of the outstanding facilities and collaborative environment of Northwestern University.

Associations and Awards

Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, 2008

Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 2007

Teacher of the Year, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 2006

Morris E. Fine Junior Chair in Materials and Manufacturing, 2006

National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2005

Searle Center for Teaching Excellence Junior Fellow, 2004

Nottingham Prize of the Physical Electronics Conference, 2000

Sigma Pi Sigma, National Physics Honor Society, 1992

Member of ACS, APS, MRS, and TMS

Selected Publications

D. E. Perea, E. R. Hemesath, J. L. Lensch-Falk, and L. J. Lauhon, "Direct Measurement of Dopant Distribution in an Individual Vapor-Liquid-Solid Nanowire," Nature Nanotechnology 4, 315 (2009).

J. E. Allen, E. R. Hemesath, D. E. Perea, J. L. Lensch-Falk, Z.Y. Li, F. Yin, M. H. Gass, P. Wang, A. L. Bleloch, R. E. Palmer, L. J. Lauhon, "High-resolution detection of Au catalyst atoms in silicon nanowires," Nature Nanotechnology 3, 168 (2008).

J. L. Lensch-Falk, E. R. Hemesath, and L. J. Lauhon, "Syntaxial growth of Ge/Mn-germanide nanowire heterostructures," Nano Letters 8, 2669 (2008).

Y. Gu, J. P. Romankiewicz, J. K. David, J. L. Lensch & L. J. Lauhon, "Quantitative Measurement of the Electron and Hole Mobility-Lifetime Products in Semiconductor Nanowires," Nano Letters 6, 948 (2006).

D. E. Perea, J. E. Allen, S. J. May, B. W. Wessels, D. N. Seidman, & L. J. Lauhon, “Three-dimensional nanoscale composition mapping of semiconductor nanowires,” Nano Letters 6, 181 (2006).

D. G. Ramlan, S. J. May, J. G. Zheng, J. E. Allen, B. W. Wessels, and L. J. Lauhon, “Ferromagnetic self-assembled MnAs quantum dots on InAs nanowires,” Nano Letters 6, 50 (2006).

Y. Gu, E.-S. Kwak, J. L. Lensch, J. E. Allen, T. W. Odom, & L. J. Lauhon, “Near-field scanning photocurrent microscopy of a nanowire photodetector,” Applied Physics Letters 87, 043111 (2005).

S. J. May, J. G. Zheng, B. W. Wessels, & L. J. Lauhon, “Dendritic nanowire growth mediated by a self-assembled catalyst,” Advanced Materials 17, 598-602 (2005).

L. J. Lauhon, M. S. Gudiksen, C. L. Wang & C. M. Lieber, "Epitaxial core-shell and core-multishell nanowire heterostructures," Nature 420, 57-61 (2002).

 M. S. Gudiksen, L. J. Lauhon, J. Wang, D. C. Smith & C. M. Lieber, "Growth of nanowire superlattice structures for nanoscale photonics and electronics," Nature 415, 617-620 (2002).

Y. Huang, X. F. Duan, Y. Cui, L. J. Lauhon, K. H. Kim & C. M. Lieber, "Logic gates and computation from assembled nanowire building blocks," Science 294, 1313-1317 (2001).