Zhaohui Zhong receives CAREER Award for research in graphene-based optoelectronics

Prof. Zhaohui Zhong, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was recently awarded an NSF CAREER award for his research project, “Graphene Heterostructures Based Hot Carrier Optoelectronics.”

Prof. Zhong will investigate the nonequilibrium hot carrier dynamics in graphene, and explore novel graphene heterostructure devices for hot carrier optoelectronic applications. He also intends to demonstrate a new type of graphene heterostructure based ultra-broadband infrared photodetector with high responsivity.

The use of graphene-based hot carrier optoelectronics is the key novelty of Prof. Zhong’s research. He has already exploited the special characteristics of graphene to build the first flexible, transparent digital modulator for high speed communications, made solely out of this material. [more info]

It is expected that this research will lead to a new type of room temperature broadband infrared detector with unparalleled sensitivity. Infrared detectors are used in a wide array of applications, including optical fiber communications and lasers, infrared imaging in industry, medicine, and science, remote sensing, and detection of humans and animals during the day and night.

Additional Information: Prof. Zhong’s CAREER Award Posting by NSF

The CAREER grant is one of the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards, conferred for “the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization.”

Prof. Zhong’s award is in the NSF Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems.