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ABOUT THE GROUP
The RLE ab initio Physics Group researches a variety of complex systems from an ab initio standpoint. Most investigations fall into the broad categories of photonic crystals and optics (photons) or atomic systems and electronic structure (atoms).
The group works on problems related to a new kind of material, photonic crystals (also known as photonic band-gap materials). Photonic crystals are periodic dielectric structures that have a band gap that forbids propagation of a certain frequency range of light. This property enables one to control light with amazing facility and produce effects that are impossible with conventional optics. The group is interested in finding new phenomena and devices that are made possible by photonic crystals, and have already filed several patents for discoveries.
The group's work in atomic systems and electronic structures includes studies of the behavior of a "wet electron," an excess electron surrounded by water molecules, with the eventual goal of predicting the diffusion constant and other properties, numerical studies of dimer molecules on silicon surfaces, research on a new class of semiconductors (MITite) designed using ab-initio first principle calculations, computational simulation of the wavefunctions of fermions and bosons, and accelerated molecular dynamics formulation to investigate silicon.
CURRENT PROGRESS REPORT CHAPTERS
2007 | No. 149
ab-initio Calculations of Photonic Structures
2007 | No. 149
Multiple-Thin Films Fiber Devices
>> more Progress Report Chapters
CURRENT GROUP NEWS
04.28.2009
Six from MIT elected to National Academy of Sciences
>> more News
OTHER MEDIA
06.13.2007
Marin Soljacic Interview on RTL Television (in Croatian)
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