Such tests give detailed knowledge about electron movement in superlattices. For example an ultra-short laser pulse can excite electrons in one layer and the electron motion can be followed by monitoring subsequent optical signals as the electrons tunnel through other layers on a picosecond scale. There is research in optoelectronics and electron physics in quantum confined structures, with emphasis on new semiconductor-based laser and lightemitting structures. Workers at Brown were the first to achieve efficient blue-green light emission in ZnSSe semiconductor heterojunctions and were among the first to demonstrate pulsed laser action. Other work concerns electron physics in high magnetic fields and at low temperatures.
Possible applications range from display screens to dermatology.
A new form of optical data storage, based on second-harmonic generation in silicate glass, also has been developed. 2 w when exposed to only w frequency during readout. The information can be erased by UV light or heat. The Microelectronics Facility supports the solid state group by allowing the fabrication of small-scale integrated circuits. In 1994, the facility was rebuilt.