UCSB Nanofabrication Facility — Research Groups & Publications
A curated directory of research groups utilizing the UCSB Nanofab, organized by discipline. Each section highlights recent high-impact publications and representative research imagery.
Develops ultra-low-loss silicon nitride (Si3N4) photonic integrated circuits for stimulated Brillouin lasers, optical gyroscopes, optical frequency synthesis, and emerging atom-photonic quantum integration on chip.
Selected Recent Publications:
Integrated optical frequency division for microwave and mmWave generation — Nature 627, 540–545 (2024). DOI
Integrated photonic molecule Brillouin laser with a high-power sub-100-mHz fundamental linewidth — Optics Letters 49(1), 45–48 (2024). DOI
Ultra-low-loss silicon nitride photonic coil resonator chip used for Brillouin lasers and high-Q resonators.PZT-integrated silicon nitride microcomb resonator for chip-based optical frequency division.
Silicon Photonics, AIM Photonics & Institute for Energy Efficiency — Prof. John Bowers
Leads research on heterogeneous integration of III-V materials on silicon for lasers, amplifiers, and modulators, as well as advanced silicon photonic platforms for datacom, telecom, and ultra-narrow-linewidth laser sources.
Selected Recent Publications:
Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics — Nature Communications 15, 751 (2024). DOI
Lithium niobate photonics: Unlocking the electromagnetic spectrum — Science 379(6627) (2023). DOI
3D photonic integrated circuit: heterogeneous III-V on silicon architecture without an isolator (Nature, 2023).Novel conjoined racetrack resonator geometry for silicon photonics.
Integrated Photonics Laboratory — Prof. Jonathan Klamkin
Specializes in III-V photonic integrated circuits for free-space optical communications, LiDAR, microwave photonics, and monolithic integration of III-V quantum dot lasers on silicon via selective area heteroepitaxy.
Selected Recent Publications:
Selective area heteroepitaxy of low dislocation density antiphase boundary free GaAs microridges on flat-bottom (001) Si for integrated silicon photonics — Applied Physics Letters 118, 122106 (2021). DOI
Towards fully monolithic silicon-based integrated photonics: MOCVD grown lasers on silicon by blanket and selective area heteroepitaxy — Proc. SPIE (Photonics West, 2022). DOI
3D hybrid integrated silicon photonics platform merging InP and GaAs devices with SiPh.Laser communication terminal for free-space optical links (NASA-funded research).
Develops energy-efficient optical interconnects for data centers, with emphasis on analog coherent detection architectures that eliminate power-hungry DSP, leveraging silicon photonics and co-packaged optics.
Selected Recent Publications:
A Monolithic O-Band Coherent Optical Receiver for Energy-Efficient Links — IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 59(5) (2024). DOI
Analog Coherent Detection for Energy Efficient Intra-Data Center Links at 200 Gbps Per Wavelength — Journal of Lightwave Technology 39(2) (2021). DOI
Low-power coherent optical links for datacenter interconnects.Cryogenic silicon photonic optical links for classical and quantum computing.
Investigates light-matter interactions at the nanoscale, designing dielectric and semiconductor metasurfaces for directional light emission, magneto-optical traps, and active reconfigurable photonic devices.
Selected Recent Publications:
High efficiency large-angle polarization-insensitive retroreflecting metasurface for magneto-optical traps — Applied Physics Letters 124, 251704 (2024). DOI
Optimizing Polarization Selective Unidirectional Photoluminescence from Phased-Array Metasurfaces — Advanced Optical Materials (2024). DOI
Hybrid organic/inorganic crystalline microstructures with quantum-confinement-induced red luminescence.Tunable dielectric metasurface beam deflector for engineered light steering.
Quantum optics, entangled photon sources, NV-center sensing, topological qubits, and correlated electron systems — building the hardware foundations for quantum information science.
Quantum Optics & Quantum Information Group — Prof. Dirk Bouwmeester
Explores quantum optics and cavity quantum electrodynamics with semiconductor quantum dots, optomechanical systems using phononic crystal membranes, and quantum decoherence phenomena.
Selected Recent Publications:
Single-emitter quantum key distribution over 175 km of fibre with optimised finite key rates — Nature Communications 14, 3573 (2023). DOI
Phononically shielded multi-wavelength photonic-crystal membrane for cavity quantum optomechanics — Optics Express 33(4), 8203 (2025). DOI
SEM image of a phononic crystal membrane fabricated for optomechanical experiments (silicon nitride or diamond).Dark-field optical image of a quantum dot microcavity device showing the defect region of a photonic crystal structure.
Develops integrated quantum photonic devices on chip-scale platforms, including entangled photon-pair sources from microring resonators, 2D material quantum emitters, and scalable single-photon technologies for quantum networking.
Selected Recent Publications:
2022 Roadmap on integrated quantum photonics — Journal of Physics: Photonics 4, 012501 (2022). DOI
Defect and strain engineering of monolayer WSe2 enables site-controlled single-photon emission up to 150 K — Nature Communications 12, 3585 (2021). DOI
Packaged AlGaAs-on-insulator photonic integrated circuit (PIC) with entangled-pair sources, delivered to Cisco Quantum Labs for quantum networking.AlGaAsOI microresonator ring array for high-rate time- and frequency-bin entanglement generation (from PRX Quantum 2025 publication).
Quantum Sensing & Imaging Group — Prof. Ania Jayich
Engineers nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond for ultra-sensitive nanoscale magnetometry and quantum sensing. Recent breakthroughs leverage many-body quantum dynamics for signal amplification in solid-state quantum sensors.
Selected Recent Publications:
Signal amplification in a solid-state sensor through asymmetric many-body echo — Nature 646, 68–73 (2025). DOI
Scalable nanoscale positioning of highly coherent color centers in prefabricated diamond nanostructures — Nature Communications 16 (2025). DOI
Diamond scanning probe tip with a single NV center, used for nanoscale magnetometry (pillar-cantilever geometry).Scanning NV magnetometry image showing nanoscale magnetic field mapping of a condensed matter sample.
Grows quantum materials by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), including III-V semiconductor heterostructures, Heusler compounds, and superconductor/semiconductor hybrids for topological quantum computing and superconducting circuits.
Selected Recent Publications:
Cryogenic Growth of Tantalum Thin Films for Low-Loss Superconducting Circuits — Physical Review Applied 23(3), 034025 (2025). DOI
Fabrication and Characterization of Low-Loss Al/Si/Al Parallel Plate Capacitors for Superconducting Quantum Information Applications — npj Quantum Information 11 (2025). DOI
SEM/false-color image of Sn/InAs Josephson junctions on selective area grown nanowires with in-situ shadowed superconductor evaporation.Scienta Omicron EVO 50 Cryo-MBE chamber for growing superconductors at cryogenic substrate temperatures (below 20 K).
Investigates correlated electronic phases in van der Waals heterostructures, including superconductivity, magnetism, and quantum Hall physics in graphene-based systems using nanofabrication and low-temperature transport measurements.
Selected Recent Publications:
Superconductivity in rhombohedral trilayer graphene — Nature 598, 434–438 (2021). DOI
Isospin magnetism and spin-polarized superconductivity in Bernal bilayer graphene — Science 375(6582) (2022). DOI
NanoSQUID-on-tip probe and tuning fork assembly used for cryogenic scanning magnetic and thermal imaging of quantum materials.NanoSQUID scanning image of a van der Waals heterostructure device, showing AC susceptibility mapping (likely graphene fractional quantum Hall system).
High-Speed Electronics & RF
Sub-THz transistors, 2D-material nanoelectronics, and advanced CMOS architectures — driving the next generation of wireless communications and computing.
Develops InP heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) integrated circuits and transceiver modules operating at 100–300 GHz for next-generation sub-THz wireless communication systems with multi-Gbps data rates.
Selected Recent Publications:
100–300 GHz Wireless: Transistors, ICs, and Systems — IEEE Microwave Magazine (2025). DOI
A 280 GHz InP HBT Direct-Conversion Receiver with 10.8 dB NF — IEEE RFIC Symposium (2023). DOI
Cross-sectional SEM of a UCSB InP HBT showing sub-micron emitter, base, and collector mesa layers.130 nm InP HBT transceiver IC layout for 100–300 GHz wireless systems.
Nanoelectronics Research Lab — Prof. Kaustav Banerjee
Pioneers 2D material-based transistor architectures for future CMOS scaling, including 3D transistors with 2D semiconductors, neuromorphic computing platforms using tunnel-FETs, and cryogenic CMOS for quantum computing.
Selected Recent Publications:
Three-dimensional Transistors with Two-dimensional Semiconductors for Future CMOS Scaling — Nature Electronics (2024). DOI
An Ultra Energy-efficient Hardware Platform for Neuromorphic Computing Enabled by 2D-TMD Tunnel-FETs — Nature Communications (2024). DOI
Intercalated multilayer graphene on-chip spiral inductors — the first kinetic inductors achieving 1.5× higher inductance density than copper.3D nano-plate FET architecture using 2D WS2 semiconductors in gate-all-around configuration.
Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors & Power Electronics
GaN and Ga2O3 devices for solid-state lighting, micro-LEDs, laser diodes, and high-voltage power conversion — from Nobel Prize-winning blue LEDs to next-generation ultra-wide-bandgap power electronics.
Advances ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor device technology, particularly β-Ga2O3 power electronics including kilovolt-class MOSFETs and Schottky barrier diodes grown by MOCVD for high-voltage, high-efficiency power conversion.
Selected Recent Publications:
Kilovolt-Class β-Ga2O3 MOSFETs on 1-inch Bulk Substrates — Applied Physics Letters (2024). DOI
2.1 kV (001)-β-Ga2O3 Vertical Schottky Barrier Diode with High-k Oxide Field Plate — Applied Physics Letters (2023). DOI
Wide-bandgap semiconductor device research: GaN/Ga2O3 power electronics for high-voltage, high-efficiency power conversion.Advanced materials research at UCSB CNSI for ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor devices.
Solid State Lighting & Electronic Center (SSLEEC) — Prof. Steven DenBaars & Prof. Shuji Nakamura
Leads development of III-nitride (InGaN/GaN) optoelectronic devices including micro-LEDs scaled to the single-micron regime for AR/VR displays, edge-emitting laser diodes, and advanced LED architectures with metasurface and distributed Bragg reflector integration.
Selected Recent Publications:
High External Quantum Efficiency in Ultra-small Amber InGaN MicroLEDs Scaled to 1 μm — Applied Physics Letters (2024). DOI
Metasurface Light-Emitting Diodes with Directional and Focused Emission — Nano Letters (2023). DOI
Comparison of 1 μm InGaN/GaN micro-LED with a human hair, demonstrating ultra-small scale device fabrication for AR/VR displays.SSLEEC optical bench with III-nitride LED/laser characterization equipment. Photo: Prof. Shuji Nakamura.
Advanced Materials & Novel Devices
Topological semimetals, memristive crossbar arrays, plasma nanoscience, and neuromorphic hardware — pushing the boundaries of materials science and unconventional computing architectures.
Investigates quantum materials including functional and correlated complex oxides and topological semimetals, with emphasis on thin-film epitaxial growth (MBE), quantum transport, and electronic structure engineering at heterostructure interfaces.
Selected Recent Publications:
Two-Dimensional Topological Insulator State in Cadmium Arsenide Thin Films — Physical Review Letters 130, 046201 (2023). DOI
Similarity in the Critical Thicknesses for Superconductivity and Ferroelectricity in Strained SrTiO3 Films — Applied Physics Letters (2022). DOI
Stemmer Research Group banner: MBE-grown quantum materials and topological semimetal thin films.Advanced characterization tools and discovery science at UCSB CNSI for quantum materials research.
Develops novel memristive (resistive switching) devices and hybrid CMOS/memristor circuits for neuromorphic computing, in-memory computing, and hardware accelerators for neural networks and optimization problems.
Selected Recent Publications:
Recent Advances and Future Prospects for Memristive Materials, Devices, and Systems — ACS Nano (2023). DOI
SEM of a 64×64 passive memristive crossbar array (4,096 devices) with Ti/Al/TiN electrodes and Al2O3/TiO2-x switching layers.4K-pixel grayscale Einstein image programmed into the memristive crossbar with <4% tuning error, demonstrating analog-grade conductance control.
Works on plasma science and engineering (atmospheric and non-thermal plasmas), catalysis in molten metals for methane pyrolysis and hydrogen production, and nanoscale fabrication including colloidal lithography and micro-LED characterization.
Selected Recent Publications:
AC Plasmas Directly Excited in Liquid-Phase Hydrocarbons for H2 and Unsaturated C2 Hydrocarbon Production — Journal of the American Chemical Society 147(1) (2025). DOI
Dry Reforming of Methane Catalysed by Molten Metal Alloys — Nature Catalysis 3, 83–89 (2020). DOI
Laser shadowgraph of plasma discharge in liquid hexane showing streamer propagation and shock waves for hydrogen production.Gordon Lab research: Plasma science, catalysis, and nanoscale fabrication for hydrogen production and sustainable chemistry.
Microfluidics & MEMS
Nanofluidic transport, lab-on-chip biosensors, and microfabricated biomedical devices — bridging nanofabrication with biological and chemical applications.
Studies electrokinetic transport in nanofluidic channels, ionic current rectification in bipolar nanochannels, and the design of nanofluidic diodes and biosensors, combining experimental micro/nanofabrication with computational modeling.
Selected Recent Publications:
Coupling Charge-Regulated Interfacial Chemistry to Electrokinetic Ion Transport in Bipolar SiO2–Al2O3 Nanofluidic Diodes — Advanced Materials Interfaces (2024). DOI
Nanofluidic Diodes Based on Asymmetric Bio-Inspired Surface Coatings in Straight Glass Nanochannels — Faraday Discussions (2023). DOI
Nanofluidic channel with embedded electrodes for electric double layer modulation and electroosmotic flow control.Silicon microneedle array fabricated using MEMS wet etching techniques for minimally invasive biofluid extraction.
Astronomical Instrumentation
Superconducting photon-counting detectors for ground-based astronomy — fabricating the cameras that image exoplanets.
Pioneers Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) — superconducting photon-counting sensors with zero read noise that measure each photon's energy, arrival time, and position. Deploys MKID-based cameras (MEC, XKID) at major telescopes for direct imaging of exoplanets.
Selected Recent Publications:
Characterization of Photon Arrival Timing Jitter in Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector Arrays — Applied Physics Letters (2024). DOI
Characterizing the Dark Count Rate of a Large-Format MKID Array — Optics Express 31(6), 10775 (2023). DOI
Optical/near-IR MKID array — the revolutionary photon-counting detector technology at the core of Mazin Lab research.10,000-pixel MKID array in gold sample box with progressive zoom-ins showing pixel grid and individual lumped-element resonator structures.
