James Harris

Harris utilizes molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of III-V compound semiconductor materials to investigate new materials for electronic and optoelectronic devices. He utilizes heterojunctions, superlattices, quantum wells, and three-dimensional self-assembled quantum dots to create metastable engineered materials with novel or improved properties for electronic and optoelectronic devices. His early work in the 1970's demonstrating a practical heterojunction bipolar transistor led to their application in every mobile phone today and record setting solar cell efficiency. He has recently focused on three areas: 1) integration of photonic devices and micro optics for creation of new minimally invasive bio and medical systems for micro-array and neural imaging and 2) application of nanostructures semiconductors for the acceleration of electrons using light, a dielectric Laser Accelerator (DLA), and 3) novel materials and nano structuring for high efficiency solar cells and photo electrochemical water splitting for the generation of hydrogen.