Michael Hayden
Professor and Chair
hayden@umbc.edu
Graduate students
Undergraduate students
Former post-doctoral researchers
Dr. Won-Kook Kim, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Molecular modeling of nonlinear optical polymers (1998-2000)
Dr. Xuemei Zheng, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Electro-optic polymers in THz systems (2004-2007)
Dr. Xinchao Lu, Post-doctoral Research Associate, THz pump-probe experiments (2010-2011)
Dr. Paul Cunningham, Post-doctoral Research Associate, Carrier dynamics in organic photoconductors (2010)
Dr. Joseph Knab, Post-doctoral Research Associate, THz spectroscopy of nanoporous Si (2011-2013)
Former PhD students and dissertations
Shane C. Brower
“Activation Volumes Associated with Chromophore Reorientation in Corona Poled Polymers: Their Physical Significance and Relationship to Stability” (1996) (Chair, Department of Physics, Grove City College)
Shane J. Strutz
“Dopant Mobility and the Performance of Nonlinear Optical Polymers” (1999) (Section Head, Naval Research Lab, Washington, DC)
Alex M. Sinyukov
“Electro-optic Polymers for Terahertz Applications”, (2005) (Research Scientist, Texas A&M)
Megan Leahy
“Terahertz Spectroscopy and Molecular Modeling of Nonlinear Optical Polymers” (2006) (Staff Scientist, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab)
Mark Stephen
“Remote Detection of Atmospheric Pressure Using a Fiber-Based Laser Transmitter and Laser Spectroscopy of the Oxygen A-Band” (2008) (Staff Scientist, Goddard Space Flight Center)
Colin McLaughlin
“Electro-optic polymer devices for THz applications” (2010) (Staff Physicist, Naval Research Lab, Washington DC)
Paul Cunningham
“Optical pump-THz probe studies of semiconducting polymers” (2010) (NRC Postdoc, Staff Physicist, Naval Research Lab, Washington DC)
Felipe Vallejo
“Modeling and design of lossy waveguide structures for generation of broadband terahertz pulses through difference frequency mixing” (2014) (Asst. Prof. Universidad San Buenaventura, Bogota, Columbia)
Erin Balsamo
“Developing and Characterizing X-ray Concentrators for Space-Based Observations with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer” (2017)
Jon Gustafson
“Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides via Time-Resolved Terahertz Spectroscopy” (2021)
Former Undergraduate Research Projects
Dan Kokron
Measured the electro-optic coefficients of a new accordion nonlinear optical polymer (1992-93).
Najeeb Mokal
(EE student) Measured the thermal stability of the second order nonlinear optical susceptibility in a new accordion polymer (1993).
Ellen Talbot
Measured the thickness and index of various polymers using the prism waveguide technique (1993).
Todd Sprecher
Constructed computer controlled second harmonic generation experiment to study thermal relaxation in polymers (1994).
Kennita Johnson
Automated existing optical experiments and constructed a new computer controlled experiment to measure the effects of crosslinking on the stability of nonlinear optical polymers (1995).
Kennita Johnson
Studied the effect of cross-linking density on the stability of a new nonlinear optical polymer synthesized by collaborators at Utah State University (1996).
Lance Chilcoat
(Woodlawn High School student) Wrote computer programs to automate dielectric relaxation experiments (1996).
Michael Nilles
(Chemistry student) Measured the electro-optic effect and four wave mixing diffraction efficiency in photorefractive polymers (1996-1997).
Drew Kowalevicz
Studied the effect of poling nonlinear optical polymers under hydrostatic pressure. Measured the complex dielectric function of those polymers under applied pressure (1996-1998).
Reni Ayachitula
Studied the photochromic and photorefractive effect in dual use chromophores. (1999-2000).
Peter Lindahl
(Summer student from Syracuse University) Studied electro-optic effects in polymers. (2000)
Kristi Harris
Studied effects and applications of electrooptic and photorefractive polymers (1998-2001).
Anthony Hoffman
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2001-2004).
Joseph French
Developed computer program to analyze guided wave parameters for optical thin films. Developed computer program to automate THz experiments. Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. Used molecular modeling to study the poling efficiency in electro-optic dendrimers (2001-2005).
Peter Lindahl
(Summer student from Penn State University) Studied electro-optic effects in polymers. (2002-2003)
Eric Montgomery
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2003)
Devon Jackson
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2003-2004)
Andrea Abler
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. Developed an automated EO experiment. Learned to operate a femtosecond, amplified Ti:Sapphire laser system. (2003-2005)
Ryan Dorrill
Studied nonlinear optical properties of organic and polymeric photonic materials. (2005)
Sam Hedemann
Built interferometer to measure electro-optic coefficients in poled polymer thin films (2006).
Chris Najmi
Built interferometer to measure electro-optic coefficients in poled polymer thin films (2006).
Justin Sigley
Built new temperature controlled electric field poling apparatus for poling EO polymer films (2007).
Joseph Dulny
Investigating guest-host cooperativity in poled electro-optic polymers (2008-2009).
Ian Nolen
Built multiple-angle electro-optic experiment (2008-2009).
Cameron Howard
Studied charge blocking during electric field poling of EO polymer composites (2010).
Rachel Grissom
Studied ultra-short pulse formation in amplified fiber lasers and the effectiveness of atomic layer deposition (ALD) HfO2 films on dielectric breakdown in poled polymer devices (2010- ).
David Sweigart
Studied the effectiveness of spin-coated sol-gel TiO2 films on dielectric breakdown in poled polymer devices (2010-2011). Studied the effect of electric fields on charge carrier generation in semiconductor polymers using optical-pump THz-probe spectroscopy (2011-2012). Used finite element methods to model THz generation in an electro-optic waveguide. (2012-2013).
Sharon Wall
Measured the dispersion of the refractive index in nonlinear optical polymers. Measured the time-bandwidth product in amplified femtosecond laser systems. (2011-2012).
Tim Pillsbury
Studied quasi-phase matched optical rectification for THz generation in layered, electro-optic polymer films (2012-2013).
Soutry De
Integrated a closed-cycle helium refrigerator into our THz spectroscopy system (2011-1012).
Kim Berghaus
Studied periodic poling for frequency doubling and difference frequency generation of THz radiation (2011-2013).
Soutry De
Built a liquid He cryostat and used it to study charge generation and dynamics in organic semiconductors (2012).
Tim Pillsbury
Modeled and did experiments on THz generation in quasi-phasematched layered structures of organic polymers (2012 – 2013).
Matthew Wilcox
Non-critical phase matched second harmonic generation in LBO for fiber laser. THz experiments in the telecom wavelength regime (2012 – 2013).
Katherine Rossbach
Finite element modeling of difference frequency mixing in hybrid polymer plasmonic waveguides for THz generation (2014).
John Hannegan
Electro-optic polymer films for THz generation at 1.55 µm (2014-2016).
Sasha Kaiser
Electro-optic polymer films for THz generation at 1.55 µm (2014-2015).
Blake Hipsley
Poling efficiency in electro-optic films (2016-2019)
Ellen Gulian
THz ASOPS and DFT calculations of optical properties of WS
Rachel Smith
THz ASOPS studies of corrosion in thin film metal coatings
Ben Brown
Electro-optic polymers films for wide-band THz sensing
Mansoor Shehzad
THz ASOPS imaging