Being able to disinfect a room with the click of a button is a dream come true for medical professionals, scientists, and even homeowners. But the technology is no mere fantasy. It is currently being developed by UCF researcher Leland Nordin.
Nordin, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is leading a project to develop compact semiconductor light sources for civilian applications such as defense and indoor disinfection. The research is funded by a new $1 million grant from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Institute.
Laser devices operate at ultraviolet C (UVC) wavelengths, the shortest of all forms of UV light.
“UVC is part of the UV spectrum,” says Nordin. “When we talk about ultraviolet light, we are talking about what harms us from the sun: UVA and UVB. UVC has the shortest wavelength and highest energy. The reason this is useful is because it This is because unlike wavelengths, they do not penetrate deep into the skin, but provide disinfection and virus protection.”
The disadvantage of UVC semiconductor lasers is their short lifetime. It lasts no more than an hour, making it impractical and expensive to use. Nordin plans to develop a UVC laser that can last at least 10,000 hours by overcoming defect electromigration, which can shorten a laser’s lifetime.
“What this means is that defects can be introduced when manufacturing the laser through crystal growth,” Nordin says. “An atom may be missing or an extra atom may have been created.”
To optimize the laser’s performance, Nordin employs a series of new growth approaches, including the use of digital alloys. These superlattice structures can be easily scaled, offer excellent transport properties, and have advantages such as high thermal conductivity. The result is a more powerful UVC laser with fewer defects and a longer lifetime.
The Army may use these UVC lasers for non-line-of-sight communications and detection of chemical, biological, and explosives. These lasers also have other uses. Hospitals can use them to remove viruses from surfaces, while wastewater treatment plants can use them to sterilize water. Homeowners may also someday be able to benefit from this technology.
“Imagine this technology connected to smart home technology,” says Nordin. “You can click a button and the technology will disinfect your room while you’re out.”
Nordin’s co-lead on this project is UCF materials science researcher Leo Showalter, who co-developed the first UVC laser with Nobel Prize winner Hiroshi Amano at Nagoya University in 2019. They look forward to building a larger semiconductor ecosystem in Florida and are enthusiastic about making that happen. We will work with faculty at the University of Florida who are already working on semiconductors with researchers at the Florida Semiconductor Institute. Nordin said the project provides an opportunity to grow Florida’s semiconductor workforce and foster the spirit of collaboration that is UCF’s hallmark.
“UCF supports industry partnerships, and this aligns well with these efforts,” Nordin said. This shows the level of partnership that UCF is very enthusiastic and interested in. ”
Researcher credentials:
Nordin is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, with a joint appointment with CREOL (College of Optics and Photonics). His cutting-edge research focuses on next-generation semiconductor materials and devices, covering design, growth, manufacturing, and characterization. Prior to joining UCF, Nordin was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University’s Geball Institute for Advanced Materials. He received his doctorate and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Schawalter is chief technology officer at Lit Thinking and a research adjunct professor at UCF. After earning his doctorate in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Showalter worked at the GE Global Research Center and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1997, he co-founded Crystal IS, a manufacturer of high-performance LEDs for disinfection and instrumentation applications. Mr. Showalter is also a specially appointed professor at Nagoya University.
