Laboratory for Nonlinear Optical Studies of Macromolecular Photonic Materials

Department of Physics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

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Please visit our Wiki page to learn more about each of our current research projects. A public version of our THz Wiki can be viewed through the NSF STC website on Materials and Devices for Information Technology Research.

Group Members

L. Michael Hayden, Director (410-455-3199, hayden@umbc.edu)

Dr. Xinchao Lu, Post-doctoral Research Associate
Dr. Paul Cunningham, Post-doctoral Research Associate, pcunni1@umbc.edu, Paul's personal webpage
Felipe Vallejo, Graduate research assistant, felvall1@umbc.edu

Tom Fenert, Graduate research assistant, tfen1@umbc.edu
Rachel Grissom, Undergraduate research assistant, rgriss1@umbc.edu

David Sweigart, Undergraduate research assistant, sweigar2@umbc.edu

Sharon Wall, Undergraduate research assistant, sharonw1@umbc.edu

Former post-doctoral researchers

Dr. Won-Kook Kim, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Molecular modeling of nonlinear optical polymers (1998-2000)
Dr. Xuemei Zheng, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Electro-optic polymers in THz systems (2004-2007)

Former PhD students and dissertations

Shane C. Brower
“Activation Volumes Associated with Chromophore Reorientation in Corona Poled Polymers: Their Physical Significance and Relationship to Stability” (1996) (Chair, Department of Physics, Grove City College)

Shane J. Strutz
“Dopant Mobility and the Performance of Nonlinear Optical Polymers” (1999) (Section Head, Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC)

Alex M. Sinyukov
“Electro-optic Polymers for Terahertz Applications”, (2005) (Post-doctoral associate NJIT)

Megan Leahy
“Terahertz Spectroscopy and Molecular Modeling of Nonlinear Optical Polymers” (2006) (Staff scientist, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab)

Mark Stephen
“Remote Detection of Atmospheric Pressure Using a Fiber-Based Laser Transmitter and Laser Spectroscopy of the Oxygen A-Band” (2008) (Staff Scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center)

Colin McLaughlin
“Electro-optic polymer devices for THz applications” (2010) (Staff Physicist, Naval Research Lab, Washington DC)

Paul Cunningham
“Optical pump-THz probe studies of semiconducting polymers” (2010) (NRC Postdoc, Naval Research Lab, Washington DC)

Felipe Vallejo
Currently studying the design and fabrication of nonlinear optical polymers waveguides for THz applications (2010- ).

Undergraduate Research Projects

Dan Kokron
Measured the electro-optic coefficients of a new accordion nonlinear optical polymer (1992-93).

Najeeb Mokal
(EE student) Measured the thermal stability of the second order nonlinear optical susceptibility in a new accordion polymer (1993).

Ellen Talbot
Measured the thickness and index of various polymers using the prism waveguide technique (1993).

Todd Sprecher
Constructed computer controlled second harmonic generation experiment to study thermal relaxation in polymers (1994).

Kennita Johnson
Automated existing optical experiments and constructed a new computer controlled experiment to measure the effects of crosslinking on the stability of nonlinear optical polymers (1995).

Kennita Johnson
Studied the effect of cross-linking density on the stability of a new nonlinear optical polymer synthesized by collaborators at Utah State University (1996).

Lance Chilcoat
(Woodlawn High School student) Wrote computer programs to automate dielectric relaxation experiments (1996).

Michael Nilles
(Chemistry student) Measured the electro-optic effect and four wave mixing diffraction efficiency in photorefractive polymers (1996-1997).

Drew Kowalevicz
Studied the effect of poling nonlinear optical polymers under hydrostatic pressure. Measured the complex dielectric function of those polymers under applied pressure (1996-1998).

Reni Ayachitula
Studied the photochromic and photorefractive effect in dual use chromophores. (1999-2000).

Peter Lindahl
(Summer student from Syracuse University) Studied electro-optic effects in polymers. (2000)

Kristi Harris
Studied effects and applications of electrooptic and photorefractive polymers (1998-2001).

Anthony Hoffman
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2001-2004).

Joseph French
Developed computer program to analyze guided wave parameters for optical thin films. Developed computer program to automate THz experiments. Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. Used molecular modeling to study the poling efficiency in electro-optic dendrimers (2001-2005).

Peter Lindahl
(Summer student from Penn State University) Studied electro-optic effects in polymers. (2002-2003)

Eric Montgomery
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2003)

Devon Jackson
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2003-2004)

Andrea Abler
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. Developed an automated EO experiment. Learned to operate a femtosecond, amplified Ti:Sapphire laser system. (2003-2005)

Ryan Dorrill
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2005)

Sam Hedemann
Built interferometer to measure electro-optic coefficients in poled polymer thin films (2006).

Chris Najmi
Built interferometer to measure electro-optic coefficients in poled polymer thin films (2006).

Justin Sigley
Built new temperature controlled electric field poling apparatus for poling EO polymer films (2007).

Joseph Dulny
Investigating guest-host cooperativity in poled electro-optic polymers (2008-2009).

Ian Nolen
Built multiple-angle electro-optic experiment (2008-2009).

Cameron Howard
Studied charge blocking during electric field poling of EO polymer composites (2010).

Rachel Grissom
Studied ultra-short pulse formation in amplified fiber lasers and the effectiveness of atomic layer deposition (ALD) HfO2 films on dielectric breakdown in poled polymer devices (2010- ).

David Sweigart
Studied the effectiveness of spin-coated sol-gel TiO2 films on dielectric breakdown in poled polymer devices (2010- ).

Sharon Wall
Measured the dispersion of the refractive index in nonlinear optical polymers. Measured the time-bandwidth product in amplified femtosecond laser systems. (2011- ).

Lab Tour

Typical student work spaces in the labs:

406C lab

406D lab

This is the THz lab:

**We have just installed a Coherent Duo USX (<25-fs, 6 mJ) system with an OperaSolo OPA** This system is now producing 19-fs pulses!!!

Femtosecond lab

150 fs setup (Coherent MIRA/REGA amplified Ti:Sapphire system; 250 kHz, 3 mJ/pulse)

< 30 fs setup (Spectra-Physics/Kapteyn-Murnane amplified system; 1 kHz, 1000 mJ/pulse)

THz setup

This is the holography lab:

Holographically corrected telescope experiment