The Lai group is actively exploring the frontiers of III-nitride devices, with particular emphases on plasmonic biosensors and deep ultraviolet LEDs. Exceptional properties and performances of these devices are demonstrated through novel growth and/or fabrication techniques. Additional research interest is directed toward theoretical investigations on the mechanisms responsible for emission/absorption rates at the interfaces of III-nitride semiconductors.
The bianalyte method is currently the most reliable proof for single-molecule detection by surface-enhance Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Our study unveils a unique plasmonic coupling between InGaN quantum dots and Au nanoparticles, redefining the rule for single-molecule detection by SERS.
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The dependence of SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy) intensity on electron concentration is quantified by InGaN quantum wells (QWs). Increasing the QW number and surface roughness, we trap abundant electrons a few nanometers below the hot spots, boosting the SERS intensity by 13000-fold.
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The large bandgap and high p-type conductivity of 2D boron nitride (BN) make the compound very attractive for UV LEDs. However, integrating the promising 2D material in UV LEDs is challenging. In Lai’s group, we demonstrate a wafer-scale BN epitaxy on 2-inch AlN/sapphire by MOCVD, with the growth temperature of 1180 ℃.
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