Biography
| Dr. Arkadiy Lyakh has more than 25 years of experience in semiconductor laser research and development, with a primary focus on low-dimensional semiconductor devices, particularly quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). His research, largely funded by multiple branches of the U.S. DoW and national laboratories, has had direct and tangible impact on various defense capabilities, with many developed devices and platforms successfully commercialized. His contributions include the first InP-based QCLs grown on lattice-mismatched substrates, independent demonstration of the first QCLs-on-Si, world-record-performance QCL-on-Si devices integrated on 8-inch silicon wafers, dual-band high-power CW QCLs, record-setting multiwatt CW QCLs in the MWIR and LWIR, high-brightness broad-area QCLs, QCL tree-arrays for scalable high-power systems, and ultrafast broadly tunable QCLs for standoff sensing and diagnostics. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, four book chapters, and holds 16 patents. |
Research Areas
Research focuses on the physics of intersubband transitions and carrier transport in multilayer semiconductor heterostructures, with a strong emphasis on low-dimensional semiconductor devices. Core activities include quantum cascade lasers, monolithic sensor platforms, and applications in mid-infrared spectroscopy.
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Research Opportunities for Students
Students work on problems spanning device physics, heterostructure and waveguide design, nanofabrication, and system-level implementation, with an emphasis on translating fundamental concepts into high-performance, practical devices. Projects are strongly application-driven and often involve close interaction with industry and government partners. Students are expected to engage deeply with both theory and experiment, developing skills that prepare them for careers in semiconductor photonics, defense laboratories, and advanced industrial R&D.
Information on requirements:
Currently accepting: Yes
Graduate: Yes
Undergraduate: Yes
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- Is it Paid? No
- In a lab? Yes
- Prerequisites: Students interested in joining the group should have a strong background in physics, electrical engineering, materials science, or a closely related field. A solid foundation in solid-state physics, quantum mechanics, and electromagnetism is expected, along with familiarity with semiconductor devices and optoelectronics. Experience with numerical modeling, data analysis, or scientific programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or similar) is highly desirable.
- Learning materials:
- Faist, Quantum Cascade Lasers
- Coldren, Corzine & Mashanovitch Diode Lasers and Photonic Integrated Circuits
Publications
Arkadiy Lyakh – Google Scholar
A. Lyakh, R. Barron-Jimenez, I. Dunayevskiy, R. Go, and C. Kumar N. Patel, “External Cavity quantum cascade lasers with ultra rapid acoustooptic tuning” Applied Physics Letters 106, 151101, March 2015
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. K. N. Patel, “Continuous wave operation of buried heterostructure 4.6µm quantum cascade laser Y-junctions and tree arrays”, Optics Express 22, 1203, January 2014
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. K. N. Patel, “Multiwatt long wavelength quantum cascade lasers based on high strain composition with 70% injection efficiency”, Optics Express 22, 24272, October 2012
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. K. N. Patel, “Tapered 4.7μm quantum cascade lasers with highly strained active region composition delivering over 4.5 watts of continuous wave optical power”, Optics Express 20, 4382, February 2012
R. Maulini, A. Lyakh, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. K. N. Patel, “λ~7.1μm Quantum Cascade Lasers with 19% wall-plug efficiency at room temperature”, Optics Express 19, 17203, August 2011
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, and C. K. N. Patel, “Progress in high-performance quantum cascade lasers”, Optical Engineering, vol. 49, p. 111105, November 2010
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, S. Von Der Porten, C. Pflugl, L. Diehl, F. Capasso, and C. K. N. Patel, “High-performance continuous-wave room temperature 4.0-μm quantum cascade lasers with single-facet optical emission exceeding 2 W”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 107, p. 18799, November 2010
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, C. Pflügl, L. Diehl, Q. Wang, F. Capasso, and C. K. N. Patel, “3 W continuous-wave room temperature single-facet emission from quantum cascade lasers based on non-resonant extraction design approach”, Applied Physics Letters vol. 95, p. 141113, October 2009
R. Maulini, I. Dunayevskiy, A. Lyakh, A. Tsekoun, L. Diehl, C. Pllugl, Federico Capasso, “Widely tunable high-power external cavity quantum cascade laser operating in continuous-wave at room temperature”, Electronic Letters, vol. 45, p. 107, January 2009
A. Lyakh, R. Maulini, A. Tsekoun, R. Go, and C. K. N. Patel, “Intersubband absorption of quantum cascade laser structures and its applications to laser modulation”, Applied Physics Letters vol. 92, p. 211108, May 2008
A. Lyakh, P. Zory, M. D’Souza, D. Botez, D. Bour, “Substrate-emitting, distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers”, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 91, p. 181116, October 2007
Courses Taught
- PHZ 4404 Solid State Physics
- PHY 4803L Advanced Physics Laboratory
- PHZ 2048C Physics I with Calculus