Biography
Dr. Wayesh Qarony is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prior to UCF, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, jointly with the Molecular Foundry of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. He was also a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Davis. He is a co-author of several breakthrough research projects, including the first all-silicon quantum light source, the first scale-invariant single-mode semiconductor surface-emitting laser, and record photoabsorption in silicon optical sensors that exceed the III-V semiconductor absorption efficiency in the NIR region. Qarony received his doctoral degree in applied physics, his master’s degree in electrical engineering, and his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Jacobs University Bremen Germany (now known as Constructor University), and American International University-Bangladesh, respectively.
Research Area
Dr. Qarony’s research focus is on quantum materials and devices. Our research focuses on harnessing the unique properties of integrated photonics and nano-optical devices to advance quantum technologies and energy solutions. We aim to introduce new frontiers in quantum light sources and single-photon detectors by utilizing spin-photon interfaces along with single-photon emission properties based on integrated photonics quantum technologies. This fundamental contribution provides opportunities to explore emerging applications in quantum information processing, quantum networks, and quantum sensing.
Research Opportunities for Students
Dr. Qarony’s Q-Lab focuses on quantum emitter and spin-photon interfaces in silicon. Silicon’s scalability has made it a crucial semiconductor material for addressing scaling and integration challenges in the semiconductor industry. However, the lack of an efficient spin-photon interface has hindered its potential for quantum information processing and quantum networks. Our research explores silicon color centers’ fundamental properties to overcome these limitations and enable advancements by integrating them into systems for the emerging applications of quantum information processing, quantum networks, and communications.
In our other project, we work on nanophotonic-based single-photon detectors that can overcome limits by distinctly improving the photodetection efficiency, ultra-fastness, and time resolution at high temperatures. We explore highly performing single photon sensors by integrating nanophotonic structures into ultrawide bandgap semiconductors and high-temperature superconductors for emerging on-chip quantum sensing, medical imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, high-temperature, and harsh environment optical sensing from the earth to space. We design and simulate photonic devices, fabricate those systems in the world-class in-house cleanroom, and characterize them in the well-equipped quantum optics lab (Q-Lab).
Information on requirements:
Currently accepting:
Graduate: Yes
Undergraduate: Yes
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- Is it Paid? – Yes
- In a lab? – Yes
- Prerequisites – N/A
- Learning materials – N/A
Publications
Selected Publications:
- K. Jhuria, S. Ivanov, D. Polley, Y. Zhiyenbayev, W. Liu, A. Persaud, W. Redjem, W. Qarony, P. Parajuli, Q. Ji, A. J. Gonsalves, J. Bokor, L. Z. Tan, B. Kanté, T. Schenkel, “Programmable quantum emitter formation in silicon,” Nature Communications 15, 4497 (2024).
- Z. Jia, W. Qarony, J. Park, S. Hooten, D. Wen, Y. Zhiyenbayev, W. Redjem, E. Yablonovitch, B. Kanté, “Interpretable inverse-designed cavity for on-chip nonlinear photon pair generation,” Optica 10(11), 1529-1534 (2023).
- W. Qarony, W. Redjem, Y. zhiyenbayev, S. Ivanov, C. Papapanos, W. Liu, S. Dhuey, A. Schwartzberg, T. Schenkel, L. Z. Tan, B. Kanté, ” All-silicon quantum light source by embedding a single color center in a nanophotonic cavity,” IEEE Photonics Conference (IPC) (2023).
- W. Qarony, M.I. Hossain, A. Tamang, V. Jovanov, M. Shahiduzzaman, A. Salleo, Y.H. Tsang, D. Knipp, “On the Potential of Optical Nanoantennas for Visibly Transparent Solar Cells,” ACS Photonics 10 (12), 4205-4214 (2023).
- W. Qarony, A. S. Mayet, E. P. Devine, S. Ghandiparsi, C. Bartolo-Perez, A. Ahamed, A. Rawat, H. H. Mamtaz, T. Yamada, A. F. Elrefaie, S.-Y. Wang, M. S. Islam, “Achieving higher photoabsorption than group III-V semiconductors in ultra-fast thin silicon photodetectors with integrated photon-trapping surface structures,” Advanced Photonics Nexus 2 (5), 056001-056001(2023).
- W. Redjem#, Y. zhiyenbayev#, W. Qarony#, S. Ivanov, C. Papapanos, W. Liu, S. Dhuey, A. Schwartzberg, T. Schenkel, L. Z. Tan, B. Kanté, ” All-silicon quantum light source by embedding an atomic emissive center in a nanophotonic cavity,” Nature Communications 14, 3321 (2023).
- Y. zhiyenbayev, W. Redjem, S. Ivanov, W. Qarony, W. Liu, C. Papapanos, T. Schenkel, L. Z. Tan, B. Kanté, “Scalable manufacturing of quantum emitters in silicon by rapid thermal annealing,” Optics Express 31 (5), 8352-8362 (2023).
- R. Contractor#, W. Noh#, W. Redjem#, W. Qarony, E. Martin, S. Dhuey, A. Schwartzberg, B. Kanté, “Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities,” Nature 608, 692–698 (2022).
Courses Taught
EEE3350 Semiconductor Device Physics, Fall 2024